Thanks to its rave reviews, mysterious marketing and the always-intriguing presence of Nicolas Cage, new horror Longlegs is the movie that everyone’s talking about right now.
But despite dominating the conversation for the past week, many people are only just recognising something interesting about the film’s director.
Longlegs was written and directed by Osgood Perkins, whose past work includes The Blackcoat’s Daughter, The Girl In The Photographs, I Am The Pretty Thing That Lives In The House and the reimagined dark fairytale Gretel & Hansel.
But before making the jump to filmmaking, Oz was previously an actor, appearing in small roles in Not Another Teen Movie, Secretary, the 2009 Star Trek movie and Legally Blonde.
Oz played Elle Woods’ Harvard pal David Kidney in the hit rom-com, which has come as a surprise to many fans of his later work.
But Legally Blonde isn’t the only film the director has an unlikely connection to. His dad was Anthony Perkins, better known as Norman Bates in the pioneering horror movie Psycho, as plenty of people are only just discovering over on X (formerly Twitter)...
for those who didn’t know, the director of #longlegs is Oz Perkins. SON of the iconic Anthony Perkins and was also in legally blonde pic.twitter.com/2VMjPKMVM2
— daniel craig (@dankoenigggg) July 12, 2024
I regret to inform my film friends that the hype around LONGLEGS is correct, and that the dorky guy from Legally Blonde has written and directed one of the best horror movies of the year. Strong recommend, comedy-background-horror-creators stay winning.
— André Treiber (@andrebttx) July 13, 2024
Just a reminder that the writer & director of Longlegs, Osgood (Oz) Perkins, is not only the son of horror icon Anthony Perkins but—most importantly—HE’S DAVID FROM LEGALLY BLONDE pic.twitter.com/FJk4ZkWgH8
— Liz Arcury (@LizArcury) June 27, 2024
I love that day after I saw Longlegs I went and watched Legally Blonde. Just to now find out that the actor who plays the socially awkward law student that Elle Woods befriends is the WRITER AND DIRECTOR of Longlegs!!!
— Community Is The Cure to Most Injustices (@TurkeyMuffin1) July 15, 2024
double feature idea: watching osgood perkins in legally blonde and then watching longlegs which he directed i am calling it … Legally Longlegs pic.twitter.com/ptsrNOCEtj
— baby jane ???? (@janedazey) June 23, 2024
i’m just realizing the man who gave this iconic performance in legally blonde is the same man who wrote longlegs pic.twitter.com/4dAzSZ30Wt
— PatheticGirl43 (@funeralforfrogs) July 14, 2024
Dorky David from Legally Blonde directed Longlegs ???? pic.twitter.com/bvcakWjlSn
— kevin m. (@kevkev) July 13, 2024
THE DORKY GUY FROM LEGALLY BLONDE IS THE LONGLEGS DIRECTOR SHUT THE FUCK UP https://t.co/r75NR88a3Rpic.twitter.com/JycSO63S6B
— Eva (@eva_kirby21) July 13, 2024
just found out longlegs is directed by the tall nerdy guy from legally blonde and now it seems a lot less scary
— yes! (@bitchhomiequaAn) July 14, 2024
I’m probably incredibly late to this realization but you could’ve knocked me over with a feather when I learned Oz Perkins, writer/director of Longlegs and The Blackcoat’s Daughter, is David in Legally Blonde pic.twitter.com/Kux4A5Vu8n
— Kittenfish???? (@Kittenfish817) July 14, 2024
The best part about #Longlegs is explaining that the tall awkward nerd guy from Legally Blonde is the movie's director.
— Lauren (@laurencantwrite) July 12, 2024
hold on processing that longlegs director is that quiet mf from legally blonde https://t.co/KkL1wqo6Pypic.twitter.com/cxWRNLy2aX
— gay fieri (@papa_talisa) July 13, 2024
wait a second. is this random tweet how I'm learning that longlegs is the guy from legally blonde????????????? Am I hallucinating https://t.co/wLiJX4F7et
— jaye (@hayejunt) July 13, 2024
learning that this guy is the director of #longlegs gave me the same feeling as realizing that mike white was ned schneebly in school of rock pic.twitter.com/W08EDrnVph
— AK (@shrekgirlie) July 10, 2024
Maika Monroe takes the lead in Longlegs, as an FBI agent assigned to investigate a mysterious string of mass murders, only to discover there’s a lot more to the case than first meets the eye.
Nicolas Cage also makes a scene-stealing appearance as the titular serial killer, donning elaborate prosthetics to help him get into character, with a performance that he’s revealed has a particularly personal connection for him.
Longlegs is in cinemas now.
