REMEMBER – American Idol Winner Caleb Johnson Joins Our Team

A group of friends in an isolated cabin are terrorized by a malevolent force that picks them off one-by-one. As each character is taken, the survivors forget that their friend ever existed, causing ripple effects that affect their personalities, relationships, and ability to survive the night.

Welcome back to our newsletter! The Remember crew is gearing up for an exciting summer. Next month, we’ll be filming our action-packed prologue, and there’s a new member of our cast who’s ready to face off against this supernatural threat.

Caleb Johnson is an Asheville native and lifelong monster fan. He’s never been in a horror film before, but he has plenty of experience in front of the camera. Caleb won the 13th season of American Idol and has performed all over the world.

While he’s known for his music, Caleb has always had a deep love for creature features. “Before music was my career, I was really into film. I wanted to be a horror filmmaker and direct monster movies,” he said. Growing up as a self-described “monster-movie kid,” he was a big fan of classic Godzilla movies and Universal monsters. “These bizarre, unique stories deeply resonated with me.”

While his career went in a different direction, he never lost his enthusiasm for the genre, and he can still feel its influence. “I think a lot of rock artists are hugely inspired by horror movies,” he said. “When I was touring with Kiss, Gene Simmons was a huge monster movie fan. His stage moves, the way he walks on stage, it’s all based on this alien monster from 20 Million Miles to Earth. I can give you many more examples. Horror movies are part of rock artists’ DNA. Like horror, there’s a danger to rock’n’roll, a fearlessness.”

Caleb is on tour right now, but he’s taking a break next month for his acting debut. He first heard about our project thanks to a childhood connection with our co-director Betsy Pearl Cardwell. As a young teen, he met Betsy when they were both enrolled in a film program in the (now defunct) Blue Ridge Motion Pictures.

“I was fifteen at the time, and just movie-obsessed,” he said. “The course was two or almost three years, and we did some projects together. We obviously went our separate ways and I went into music. Then Betsy contacted me a couple weeks ago and I immediately said yes. You don’t have to ask me twice.”

As Betsy remembers, “The thing that set him apart from all the other students was his enthusiasm and excitement about filmmaking. His passion was absolutely contagious. I just knew that he’d go far in his field. I wasn't surprised that he found another creative talent; but I also knew that his love for the movies would never die.”

Caleb considers this project a “full-circle moment,” working on a film in his favorite genre while returning to the area where he grew up.

“I was born and raised in Western North Carolina. This area holds a special place in my heart. It’s incredible to see how much the city has evolved since I was a kid. It really shaped who I am, and now that I get to work with local artists and filmmakers, it’s incredible.”

To avoid spoilers, we won’t tell you which character Caleb has signed on to play, but expect something memorable. “What happens to me, and what I get to do when I’m face-to-face with that monster, it’s a dream come true.”

He’s not the only one excited for his big scenes. Co-director Jeff Corpening said, "To say we are happy about working with Caleb would be an understatement. The excitement he has for our film, and his love of horror films in general, has proven infectious to our whole team. I can't wait to show everyone what he can do."

His young costar Carolyn Tkachenko is also ready to face down monsters with her costar. “He’s an amazing performer, and I’m truly honored to learn from his experience and share the screen with him.”

Outside of monster attacks, Caleb is currently touring the country and preparing to release his next album later this year. He just announced another UK tour for next year, and he’ll once again join the Trans-Siberian Orchestra for their winter arena tour this November and December.

You can find all his information, including his touring schedule, on his website.

We’ll keep you posted as we get closer to filming. Check out our website for all the details on our project, our team, and ways that you can help!