Tyler Posey Shares Details of New Pandemic Film ‘Alone’ Amid Ongoing Coronavirus (Exclusive)

You may remember him from Maid in Manhattan as the son to Jennifer Lopez’s titular character, but actor Tyler Posey is all grown up now. Since first starring alongside the multitalented singer, he’s been in many films and shows and now the 28-year-old is adding another one to his resume. In an exclusive interview with PopCulture.com, Posey details his new film Alone, which happens to be about people in a pandemic — although zombies are in the mix — and touches on his sobriety, crediting the uncertain times for his decision.

“My character finds himself in the middle of a pandemic, he sees zombies running around — we call them screamers in the movie because our zombies still speak,” he said in our series, PopCulture @ Home. Further detailing how the writers and cast wanted to add a little something more to their zombies that would separate them from others we’ve seen on shows and movies, Posey shares it’s all got an eerie element to it.

“They’re creepier. We tried to find some sort of element that we could bring about that just make it a little bit more unique and they still have that last memory from when they were completely human,” he said. “And so if they’re saying, ‘I’m okay,’ they still scream ‘I’m okay! I’m okay!’ and it’s just this really kind of weird sort of element, disturbing thing that we put in.”

The Teen Wolf star plays the character of Aidan, alongside Westworld actress Summer Spiro, who portrays the role of Eva in the Lionsgate thriller. The two both wake up one morning to their worlds flipped upside down as they find themselves in the middle of a pandemic. The film, which does not hesitate to get straight to the point, shows how Aidan becomes creative on how to survive while being surrounded by zombies, who, if they were to bite or scratch him, he would turn into one himself. Finding Eva is the only one not infected with the virus; the two try their best to survive together.

While the movie may be premiering during a pandemic, the cast and crew actually shot it over a year ago. “We shot this over a year ago. So this was way before any pandemic was ever a thought,” Posey said, making this the first film about a pandemic to release while the world still battles the coronavirus. Posey reveals the coolest part of the film is when his character runs into Donald Sutherland — who plays Edward, someone left unstruck by the virus but knows someone close to him who has.

While Posey’s on-screen pandemic life is rather stressful, his real pandemic life has been a lot better than he expected, admitting he’s making himself “really proud” each day. “It’s been just like everybody else’s, you know. I’ve really taken it as growth. I’m now sober. I use to kind of be like a big pothead or whatever, but now, I’m completely sober. I am taking care of all of my stuff that I procrastinated on. I’ve really grown a lot in this quarantine, as bad as it has been. I don’t know if I would have gotten to this point without it, and I’m just making myself really proud every single day.”

Alone streams on Digital and On Demand Oct. 16 and arrives on Blu-ray and DVD Oct. 20. For more on Posey and your other favorite celebrities, keep it right here at PopCulture.com.