Interview by Paul Salfen, Story by Christine Thompson for AMFM Magazine
The snow fell in thick, relentless sheets across the remote Alaskan wilderness. Somewhere in that frozen expanse, an oil tycoon and a famed adventurer had vanished without a trace. A hand-picked rescue team set out to bring them home, unaware they were trespassing on sacred and savage ground. What awaited them was not just bitter cold and howling wind, but something far older, far deadlier—a towering beast whose territory they had unwittingly invaded.
This is the pulse-pounding premise of The Yeti, the gripping new survival horror from writer-directors Gene Gallerano and William Pisciotta. Starring Brittany Allen alongside Eric Nelsen, Jim Cummings, Christina Bennett Lind, Linc Hand, and genre heavyweights William Sadler and Corbin Bernsen, the film unleashes a blood-spattered, practical-effects-driven nightmare that harkens back to the golden age of monster movies. Running 91 minutes and rated R, The Yeti storms into select AMC theaters on April 4 and 8, before charging onto digital platforms on April 10 via Well Go USA.
At the center of the chaos is Brittany Allen, whose grounded performance anchors the escalating terror. We caught up with the acclaimed actress and composer to talk about stepping into the Yeti’s icy domain, the unexpected joys of creature-feature filmmaking, and what keeps her returning to horror’s unforgiving edge.
It was still dark when Brittany Allen arrived on set each morning, often running on just a few hours of sleep. Between the demands of a 12-hour shoot and the relentless energy of her two-year-old waiting at home, rest was a luxury. Yet stepping onto the meticulously crafted world built by production designer Frank Coppola felt like entering another realm entirely.
“The guys assembled a really nice, hard-working group of artists,” Allen recalls warmly. “Frank created this magical world. Every little piece was so thoughtful. He brought in Buffalo-based artists—some working on a movie for the first time—who applied their leather-working skills and other crafts to the ornate details in the cabin and even my character’s map case. It was a really lovely group of people.”
Those early mornings in the hair and makeup trailer became some of her most cherished memories. Surrounded by a tight-knit team of creative women, conversations flowed deep and genuine while the snow continued to fall outside.
“We got into the deepest conversations at six in the morning,” she says with a laugh. “You’re just rolled out of bed, barely slept because of a toddler or a long shoot day. But hanging out with those powerful, creative women was really special.”
When the towering Yeti finally made its on-set appearance, the reaction was immediate. The creature, brought to life through practical effects and an actor moving on stilts, loomed large and terrifyingly believable.
“That Yeti was incredible,” Allen says, still visibly impressed. “It was so detailed and real. The guy walking around on stilts was this towering monster. Everyone brought their A-game—the artists really delivered.”
Though Allen openly admits she isn’t a die-hard creature-feature fanatic, horror has embraced her, and she has embraced it right back. For her, the genre isn’t about encyclopedic film knowledge or endless references—it’s about something far more personal.
“I come at acting from a different place,” she explains. “When I feel something deeply, I’ll go home and write a song or start building a character around that emotion. I’m interested in human beings, in familial dynamics, in exploring different sides of myself and stepping into other people’s shoes.”
Horror, she discovered, offers a unique laboratory for that exploration.
“What’s been so fun about doing horror films is you get to push a person to their absolute limit and see what happens when they’re tested to the extreme,” Allen says. “I also love the physical aspect. You come out of these films reminded of your own strength because the work demands so much from you physically.”
Beyond acting, Allen has been carving out a name for herself as a composer. She recently scored Natasha Kermani’s Abraham’s Boys and the high-octane Coyotes. A Blu-ray release of Abraham’s Boys is coming soon, complete with her score, and she plans to release at least the main title track from Coyotes—a bombastic, ’90s Hans Zimmer-inspired epic that stands in stark contrast to the more intimate, voice-driven minimalism of Abraham’s Boys.
When asked what advice she would give to young artists hoping to follow her path, Allen’s answer is heartfelt and grounded.
“It’s all about the work,” she says firmly. “It’s about the craft—of acting, of scoring, of whatever you’re passionate about. Never stop learning, because that’s what makes it fun and rewarding.”
She acknowledges the industry’s fickle nature but urges artists to find their own North Star.
“Our society isn’t built to reward artists the way we might hope,” she notes. “But if you feel it in your heart that this is what you want to do, you owe it to yourself to commit. The biggest way to honor that is to keep working at your craft, find great teachers, and remember what the art gives you: growth, self-understanding, and the chance to become a better human. The gifts don’t always come in the jobs—they come in the characters and the lessons you learn along the way. Make that your North Star.”
As The Yeti prepares to unleash its snowy terror on audiences, Brittany Allen’s reflections remind us why creature features endure. In the face of impossible odds and towering beasts, it’s the human spirit—tested, resilient, and fiercely creative—that ultimately shines through.
Don’t miss The Yeti in select AMC theaters April 4 & 8, or on digital April 10 from Well Go USA.
