Author Zaire Lanier: ‘South of Midnight’ Interview

Compulsion Video games’ legendary journey recreation, South of Midnight, is a one-of-a-kind story. Drenched in folklore and distinctive stop-motion graphics to deliver the darkish tales and heroic tales of the Southern Gothic to life, the Xbox Recreation Studios property is a severe contender for 2025 Recreation of the 12 months, particularly contemplating that in slightly below a month of its launch, the sport has already amassed 1 million gamers. 

The story follows a younger girl named Hazel (voiced by Adriyan Rae, who additionally shared movement seize duties with Nona Parker), reeling after a hurricane devastated her hometown as she journeys by means of the very best peaks and the bayou to search out her mom, who went lacking in the course of the flood. Pulled right into a magical actuality the place folklore creatures emerge, Hazel embraces her powers as a Weaver—a magical mender of damaged spirits—to confront formidable creatures known as Haints as she unravels the secrets and techniques of her household and people round her. 

Under, author Zaire Lanier speaks with Deadline about cinematic inspirations, crafting relatable narratives and constructing the world of South of Midnight.

DEADLINE: You get employed to write down for this recreation. You hear concerning the basic idea, which is that this Black woman residing within the South, and he or she’s obtained some magical powers. What was the very first thing going by means of your thoughts? 

ZAIRE LANIER: I used to be simply actually excited concerning the premise. Video games with Black feminine leads are uncommon in gaming, particularly on the AAA stage. I used to be floored that I used to be going to have the ability to work on a undertaking like this. I used to be enthusiastic about it being set within the South with magical realism. I used to be excited as a result of I used to be like, “Oh, I can signify and write about individuals I grew up with and have been round my entire life who don’t get represented in these methods in video games.”  So, I used to be excited and really nervous as effectively. 

DEADLINE: What are some video games that impressed you rising up, or video games that you just maintain returning to? 

LANIER: I didn’t recreation a lot as a child. My grandmother purchased us an Xbox, however we solely performed it once we went to her home. Star Wars: Knights of the Previous Republic was the primary story-driven recreation I ever performed. I used to be 10, and I used to be simply flabbergasted on the finish. I keep in mind dropping the controller and working to inform my grandma [about the story], and he or she was making an attempt to be a supportive grandma, however she didn’t know what the hell I used to be speaking about [laughs]. I didn’t actually recreation a lot till I used to be most likely 16 or 17. I performed Name of Obligation or Ratchet & Clank with my cousins. I finally purchased a PlayStation, and the primary video games I performed have been The Final of Us, Dragon Age: Origins, and The Strolling Useless video games. So, I began fascinated about, “Effectively, somebody has to write down these.” It had by no means actually popped into my head that this could possibly be a profession. I didn’t even get into recreation writing till I used to be about 25 or 26. I went to highschool to be a health care provider, after which I made the transition to this. However proper now, I’m actually obsessive about Helldivers, and I play Valheim. 

DEADLINE: What inspirations did you and the group pull from to create Hazel’s story? 

LANIER: By way of the analysis for the sport’s fictional locale of Prospero, the group made journeys, so that they went right down to Tennessee, Georgia, Louisiana, and the Carolinas as effectively. They simply went and talked to locals. We introduced up Donna Washington, an award-winning storyteller, as a result of a lot of the storytelling custom within the South is oral. It’s not such as you’ll discover a assortment of tales until it’s a Br’er Rabbit-type factor, as a result of there are some established Br’er Rabbit tales. Then you will have the extra basic native legend or folktale, so we introduced her as much as discuss these features. 

We additionally had films and books as references. We did Eve’s Bayou, Night time of the Hunter, some Zora Neale Hurston, like Their Eyes Have been Watching God, and Toni Morrison’s Beloved. Hazel is a conglomeration of lots of the younger Black girls in my life, myself included. Like most Black People, my household comes from the South, so I talked to my grandparents as effectively. I spent summers within the nation. One in all my largest inspirations was Spike Lee’s Crooklyn. The principle character, Troy, her mother is sick, and it’s a coming-of-age story. I’ve all the time been fascinated by the way in which they painting Troy rising up over that point interval, and studying extra about her mom and turning into extra understanding as her mom is sick. I wished to seize that very same feeling whereas I used to be engaged on Hazel, and her persona and her character journey all through Midnight. 

DEADLINE: Slightly extra about Hazel. What’s one thing you wished to get throughout along with her character? 

LANIER: She’s very earnest. No matter she’s going to do, she’s going to do all of it in. I wished her to be somebody that you’d wish to be your pal. Or if you happen to have been a mum or dad, you’d need your baby to be her pal. That form of child within the class, somebody would say, “Oh, why don’t you go discuss to Hazel? She looks as if a pleasant younger woman.” She’s nonetheless a youngster, so she’s slightly impulsive, possibly slightly fast to anger, however you may inform she all the time means effectively. She’s empathetic, slightly smug and cocky. She has her moments, however who hasn’t at that age? All of us have slightly little bit of that in us.

DEADLINE: Hazel’s sentient plushie doll, Crouton, is so cute. Discuss extra about why he was built-in into the story. 

LANIER: Including Crouton simply added extra recreation mechanics. As soon as all the things will get swept away within the hurricane, she will get this bizarre little factor, a chunk of her on a regular basis life that’s instantly additionally imbued with magic. Crouton’s additionally named after my cat Crouton. However he’s only a memento to remind her of her mother. We now have that scene within the swamp the place he shakes Hazel awake after Bunny tosses Hazel off the cliff. He’s slightly bit of sunshine in some very heavy moments that we now have. 

DEADLINE: Sure, the darkness of the storytelling. The folklore story that obtained me essentially the most was Huggin’ Molly, the spider-woman, who was perceived as snatching the youngsters from the townspeople. However as an alternative, she was making an attempt to spare them from abuse from their households. How did this concept come about? 

LANIER: There’s an entire further layer of story the place Hazel walks round and sees individuals being affected, factories which are closed down—principally, the ultimate loss of life throes of a small city. And sometimes within the midst of these loss of life throes, when it’s systemic, whenever you don’t have cash for good public colleges, you don’t have assets for public well being, generally that turns into lots of hardships throughout the group. And I feel Huggin’ Molly is simply the magical people story model of a CPS virtually. It’s not good. Such as you talked about, there are these children residing within the mountains with an enormous spider girl, doubtlessly eternally youthful, as a result of [they’re thinking] there may be somebody on the market who’s making an attempt to assist me and hears me. As a result of it’s a folktale, generally logic doesn’t make 100% sense, however I feel folktales are sometimes instructed as a way to concern a warning or to inform a lesson. For instance, you discover a magic lamp, you get three needs to make your life higher. Right here, there’s a magic girl within the mountains who’s going to take these kids away from their abusive mother and father as a result of they don’t have the assets to get the assistance they want. And that’s what Molly represents. 

While you discuss to the youngsters within the zone, they’re pleased. They’ve beds, meals and these bizarre little toys. But it surely’s an excessive answer to an issue that nobody actually is aware of learn how to repair. Lacey [Hazel’s mother, a social worker] talks about that wrestle along with her reminiscence objects too, about how a lot of what she sees, she needs she might undo, however the one manner she will be able to do that’s by magical means. 

DEADLINE: What was essentially the most difficult story so that you can put collectively? 

LANIER: A difficult second for me to write down was most likely Altamaha-ha and Mahalia’s story as a result of it entails a lot delicate historic context. And whenever you’re writing narrative in a recreation, you solely have a lot house to present each story as a result of it’s interactive. For actually severe topics, generally that may end up in you glossing over one thing that requires much more element and time put into it. So, making an attempt to stroll the road between together with these components and feeling like we have been respectful in the direction of these realities whereas additionally giving Hazel time to course of what she’s seeing as a result of it’s traumatic, and applies on to her and her group. These have been laborious to do, nevertheless it was rewarding. I feel we pulled it off fairly effectively as a group. Additionally, Altamaha-ha was simply unhappy as shit. All of the tales are actually unhappy, however that one, I used to be similar to man… I’d’ve cried a few occasions whereas [working] on the script. 

DEADLINE: Everyone knows there are elements of the gaming group which are simply so anti-DEI. However I’ve seen a considerable amount of assist from all around the gaming group for this one. How are you feeling now that the sport is out? Is there anxiousness? Has something specifically resonated with you since its launch? 

LANIER: I’m actually proud. I used to be positively extraordinarily anxious about it. You don’t wish to essentially be the consultant for Black video games. As a result of they don’t come round fairly often, it will possibly really feel that manner generally. Not that the group or anybody ever made me really feel that manner, nevertheless it was simply me personally. South Midnight for me is only a human story. There’s one thing in it for everybody. And I actually hope for individuals who grew up within the South, Black individuals within the South, there are elements of it that really feel very hyper-specific to us that we’d perceive. But it surely’s the identical factor of like, if I play Yakuza or Ghost of Tsushima, I don’t essentially get all of the nuances that may be obvious if I got here from that tradition, nevertheless it’s a recreation I nonetheless actually get pleasure from as a result of it’s obtained good storylines — and Yakuza is simply actually humorous. I’m nonetheless capable of be immersed into the story and revel in it. 

For me, seeing individuals say, “I discovered a lot about this tradition that I don’t know something about” is wonderful. I noticed a streamer in Romania saying how a lot they preferred South of Midnight. Then seeing somebody who’s like, “This felt like my childhood.” Or individuals saying, “I’ve been enjoying with my children, and so they prefer it.” These issues to me imply much more to me than any vitriol or hate I get. My entire life I’ve been enjoying video games with individuals who don’t signify me, and I’ve beloved them. So, I don’t know what else to inform them, what I imply? 

I’m actually pleased and proud that individuals appear to love it. They actually just like the story, and it’s actually thrilling that Hazel is likeable. I positively really feel the burden off my shoulders. Whether or not individuals beloved it or hated it, I simply wanted to only know what individuals considered it, and now I do, and I really feel good. I’m hoping that this recreation for some little woman goes to be like Knights of the Previous Republic for me as a result of I’d have beloved to have a Hazel again then. 

DEADLINE: Hazel and her mother, Lacey, have a fancy relationship. What’s one thing you wished to get throughout? 

LANIER: Hazel’s graduating from highschool and on the brink of go to varsity, and also you’re in that bizarre house the place you’re legally an grownup however you have been only a baby final week. And you’ve got lots of confidence in your self. However with Lacey, there’s lots occurring behind the scenes along with her job as a social employee. Hazel retains studying all this new details about her mother, and he or she involves have a higher understanding of her mom. And that’s not saying Lacey is ideal or Hazel isn’t proper to have a number of the points she has along with her mother, however I feel for Hazel, the sport is about her gaining a brand new perspective on her mother. Hazel has to understand that her mother as soon as had hopes, goals after which her husband, Hazel’s dad, died, after which she had a boyfriend after that, who principally leaves. She then has these children that she sees abused day-after-day, and he or she feels powerless to assist. Their relationship is Hazel coming to phrases with all the things about her mom and her flaws, but additionally the enjoyment she has in watching Hazel develop up. She has her personal very fond recollections of Hazel. I don’t assume lots of children take into consideration their mother and father’ personal happiest recollections of hanging out with them. It’s not one thing you consider till you’re older and also you take a look at outdated footage. 

Lacey’s journey is realizing that Hazel is an impartial girl. On the finish of the sport, they should work collectively to cease Kooshma. And I feel it’s that sense of group and belief in one another. They’re positively going to argue once more. It’s them figuring out; we will get by means of this collectively. 

DEADLINE: Kooshma is the massive dangerous, however he’s untouchable. You battle his henchmen. What went into him being an ethereal huge dangerous that also exists after the battle is over? 

LANIER: We wished Roux [a henchman] to be a figurehead; he’d be your face-to-face interplay with the world of goals and nightmares. You go to his cabaret within the caravan and see all these extraordinarily damaged individuals. Not less than for me, Kooshma is tangible, however he’s additionally only a idea, virtually as a result of he’s feeding on individuals’s hopes, goals, and no matter they’re unable to recover from. I really feel like Kooshma represents the shortcoming to virtually let go of one thing or the shortcoming to work by means of one thing. And that’s why I feel partially you may by no means kill Kooshma as a result of there’s all the time damaged dreamers, and other people in ache and all that. Hazel broke the cycle by realizing that one thing was off. 

DEADLINE: With that mentioned, we’d like a sequel, some DLC, one thing. What’s the tea?

LANIER: That’s above my pay grade. I do not know. [laughs]. 

[This interview has been edited for length and clarity]