Could The “They’re Here” Mystery Be Solved?

We are just a few days away from everything being revealed about the film They’re Here, a film whose viral campaign we have covered extensively. However, the guys over at SciFi Mafia seem to think they have figured out what the movie really is, thanks in part to our exclusive interview with Paul Terence Geist’s PA Maureen Tandy. Discover their findings after the break.

Geist himself gave two clues yesterday morning on Twitter that harken back to my Star Wars question.

@darthvader In this clip from #Theyrehere, is this one of the men who shot at your #Deathstar at 3 seconds? #Starwars http://bit.ly/aOkN5H

@Live_for_Films One of the lead stars may be more used to the line “They’re coming in!” than “They’re Here”

Sci Fi Mafia figured out that Gold Leader (played by Angus MacInnes) is a Star Wars character who says “They’re coming in! Three marks at 2-10!”. MacInnes acted in a short film this year titled I’ll Be Right Here, which sounds very close to our little viral film. What’s interesting is that author and screenwriter Neil Rolland wrote a blog about seeing I’ll Be Right Here at the Edinburgh International Film Festival. Below is his description of the film.

Set in an LA hotel room, Moffat (a deranged and hilarious Stephen McCole) is a screenwriter waiting for his chance of a lifetime meeting with Steven Spielberg. However, it soon becomes apparent that the pressure is getting to him and when he forces bell hop Anges McInnes to help him out, the film spirals into the surreal, the scary and the hysterical.

The film has no real conclusion and is instead a character study of its demented main character. The interactivity between the two actors helps fuel the comedy and the dialogue is so quick, so eccentric, you really feel pulled into the world that Johnstone has created. The fact that it concludes in such fantastical style was such a welcomed surprise. Too often we are forced to watch a “twist” ending or just the petering out of social drama, instead this film leaves you feeling like you’ve been hit by a large squeaky plastic hammer; a little dazed, a little confused but with a big smile on your face.

The fact the film is set entirely in a hotel room with en-suite bathroom is a lesson to all aspiring filmmakers in making an engaging and entertaining piece of work on a budget.

Why is this interesting? Well, for one, it sounds nothing like the plot a lot of us assumed They’re Here would have, which reminds me of Tandy’s explanation of the story. The two descriptions are not that far from each other, though.

The next interesting thing is the inclusion of Steven Spielberg. First, Paul Terence Geist has a name that sounds oddly similar to Poltergeist, the Spielberg-produced horror flick. Tandy herself said that the name was the “too subtle alter-ego of the true creator”. Second, I’ve gotten a few weird emails in the past two days from tipsters asking me for confirmation about rumors they’ve heard about They’re Here. I got two emails suggesting Mark Hamill, David Prowse and other Star Wars actors would be in the film, and one that claimed this all had to do with Super 8. Spielberg is good friends with Star Wars creator George Lucas, so given all the Star Wars clues, the first part doesn’t sound like too crazy of an idea.


Spielberg is also co-producing Super 8. Could this all be part of that viral? My one email from a “Jim” claims his friend worked for Bad Robot (co-producer JJ Abrams’ company that is working on the film), and I questioned him about why the American-made Super 8 would be involved in the UK. He replied, “My friend advised that the UK side of things is part of the secret plot involved in Super 8”.


Of course, this could all be a coincidence. Mr. Geist is being very coy about it on Twitter, linking to articles but saying we’ll have to wait and see. What do you think?