Get ready, Monsters: “The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula” returns for its sixth season on horror streaming service Shudder this week, the new season appropriately dubbed “Season 666.”
And the Boulet Brothers are celebrating accordingly with a bigger, spookier season in the wake of the series’ Emmy nomination.
The series and its hosts return for a supersized, hour and a half-long season six premiere episode on Tuesday, October 1 on Shudder and AMC+. Following the premiere, all-new hour-long episodes will debut weekly on Tuesdays.
Bloody Disgusting spoke with the Boulet Brothers, Dracmorda and Swanthula, ahead of the new season about what to expect from Season 666, their collaboration with video game Dead by Daylight, Halloween plans, and more.
The Boulet Brothers continue to push the boundaries further every season, with Season 666 being no exception. Dracmorda says of the biggest season yet, “Well, I have to say while we were making it, we were so excited because every year the show gets a little bigger, and as it gets bigger for us, what we get excited about is that it gives us more potential to do more with the show, to push things even further in every way. We sat down during pre-production and production and did that, but it’s not until we get into post-production when I’m like, ‘Wow, I really think we may have made the best season of the show ever.’ I think everyone’s going to agree with that.”
“Our dreams come true this season,“ Swanthula teases. “Things that we’ve just been… There’s been obstacles in the past that we weren’t able to overcome for a variety of reasons. But this year, those obstacles dissolved, and we’re able to do some stuff and put on the show that we wanted to do probably since the first or second season. So yeah, it feels like this season is a little bit of a culmination of so many ideas, like the idea that all the stuff that the fans love, like us traveling to locations, extreme physical challenges, real fear, and amazing artistry, and the show really delivers.“
The Boulet Brothers took over as series directors last season, giving even more creative control and higher production value that will only continue this season. Particularly, Dracmorda pinpoints what’s different this season: “I think there was a level of polish that we added last season that we really enjoyed as far as production, the lighting, the stage, the production design, all that stuff. But I think what we really took away and got inspired by is us directing the death scenes. At the end of every episode, I feel like those are finally where we would like them to be. They’re very different than any of the ones that we’ve done before, and it’s a direct reflection of our directing guidance and ability.“
Swanthula also promises a fiery season ahead in terms of fierce competition and spicy personalities. “Because these girls showed up for work on that day, on personality day,“ Swanthula teases. “There are so many big combustible, wildly expressive and unhinged personalities, which, let’s face it and be honest, it’s great for reality television. You don’t want someone who’s guarded or overthinking everything that they say and do. You want a genuine experience of their personality and character, and I think that these guys, maybe more than any other cast, were able to step in front of the camera, be in the workroom, and just be themselves as opposed to being self-conscious.“
“Something that we’ve said since the beginning is facing the extermination challenges and just the fear overall,“ Swanthula continues. “It really goes hand in hand with just being a queer person in the modern world and relating to monsters and trying to overcome the things that mentally pin you down. We’ve been saying that since season one, but I feel like the Season 6 cast embraced that fully and almost wore it like a badge. They’re like, yes, I am ready to do this. I want to do this so that everyone sees that. The previous cast may have felt that way, but I think this cast successfully transmits that idea, and it reinforces the whole vibe and the mantra of the show in a very successful way.“
The Boulet Brothers also credit Shudder for the creative freedom that allows them to continue to push the boundaries further. “That’s one of the things that made Shudder and AMC such attractive partners. From day one, they did not want to change anything,“ Dracmorda explains. “They don’t give a lot of input in terms of asking for changes and stuff. There’s very rarely a specific ask, but for the most part, they truly like what we do, and they want us to just keep going with it. I do think it potentially made them see the show in a bigger light than maybe they did. They’ve always had faith in it, and I think they’ve always thought it would get here. But I think actually getting the nominations was, for networks, it’s such a sign of validation for your shows that I think maybe it makes them look at the show with more potential, the same potential that we’ve always seen it having.“
As for what they’re excited for fans to see this season? “I think for me, the thing that I’m excited most for fans to see is how gorgeous our hair looks and how gorgeous our costumes are,“ Swanthula answers. “This year is special. I think what to look forward to as far as where we are right now, we love reality TV. I mean, we love with a capital L, reality TV, but we’re also very excited about branching into scripted, and we have a lot of ideas, and people are interested, and we’re excited about that.“
Dragmorda offers a more mischievous, cryptic tease, “The thing I’m excited for people to see on the season, I’m just going to say it – the chicken – and I’m not going to explain anymore. Everybody will understand.”
Season 666 is hardly the only Halloween treat from the Boulet Brothers this year. The Boulet Brothers are set to release their new EP, ‘The Boulet Brothers’ Halloween House Party‘, on October 4 via PEG Records, and have already debuted track “All Hallows’ Eve.“
Dracmorda tells Bloody Disgusting, “The music was a total passion project. We were like, let’s make the exact kind of music that we want. We want to make a classic holiday Halloween album. That was the goal, and I think we succeeded and people seem to really like it. Well, we’ve only released one song so far, but people are really resonating with it, which makes me feel good because I think we went out on a limb with it. It’s a very different style for us, but a style of music that we love, and I’m happy that people are embracing it. I want this to be a Halloween album for anybody, whether you have kids or whatever it is. You could put it on for an adult’s house party, pumpkin carving with your kids, whatever, anything you’re doing that’s Halloween, driving to a pumpkin patch or Knott’s Scary Farms or whatever, you could listen to this album to get yourself in the mood.”
When it comes to “The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula,“ expect one more massive Halloween treat via their collaboration with the game Dead by Deadlight.
Stay tuned for details on that exciting team-up.