'Cold Storage' Interview: Joe Keery and Georgina Campbell

Moviefone speaks with Joe Keery and Georgina Campbell about 'Cold Storage'. "It was enjoyable to play a character that is pushing forward," Campbell said.

(L to R) Joe Keery and Georgina Campbell star in 'Cold Storage'.

Opening in theaters on February 13th is the new horror comedy ‘Cold Storage’, which was written by David Koepp (‘Jurassic Park’ and ‘Spider-Man’) and directed by Jonny Campbell (‘Alien Autopsy’).

The film stars Georgina Campbell ('Barbarian'), Joe Keery ('Stranger Things'), Sosie Bacon ('Smile'), Vanessa Redgrave (‘Mission: Impossible’), Lesley Manville (‘Phantom Thread’), and Liam Neeson ('The Naked Gun').

Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Joe Keery and Georgina Campbell about their work on ‘Cold Storage’, their first reactions to the screenplay, their characters, working with the rest of the cast, and Campbell’s love for the horror genre, as well as Keery’s thoughts on the success of ‘Stranger Things’.

(L to R) Joe Keery and Georgina Campbell in 'Cold Storage'. Photo: StudioCanal.

Moviefone: To begin with, Joe, can you talk about your first reaction to the screenplay and was the fact that it is written by the guy who wrote ‘Jurassic Park’ and ‘Spider-Man’ appealing to you?

Joe Keery: Absolutely. Obviously super inspired by him personally. I think his films also really inspired the Duffer Brothers who famously did ‘Stranger Things’. Specifically, his movie ‘Panic Room’ was a massive inspiration to the brothers. I think you can kind of feel that in the script, the pacing, and just how realized the characters feel. It was just such a joy just to read the script. So, to be able to dig in and shoot it and work on the project was a no-brainer for me. David's amazing. David, I just feel like is omnipotent. He's inspired and influenced so much of pop culture. Really, he has. His films go so deep. So, to be able to just hang out with him, talk to him, ask him questions and work with him on something was so cool.

MF: Georgina, what was your first reaction to the screenplay?

Georgina Campbell: It was just so much fun. It was enjoyable to read the script and to be able to play a character that is so up for the adventure and is pushing forward all the time. I really enjoyed reading it and was very excited to get involved.

(L to R) Georgina Campbell and Joe Keery in 'Cold Storage'. Photo: StudioCanal.

MF: Joe, how would you describe your character in your own words?

JK: He just reminds me of somebody who's been led down a path that maybe wasn't the best fit for him. When people say, "Oh, this person's jumping off a cliff, would you?" He's the guy who was doing that. He was just being led in the wrong direction. I do think that he has a good heart and wants to do the right thing, but just is wrapped up in the wrong thing. At the end of the day, hopefully he's a character that people can root for. I think that Naomi and the way that Georgina did it made it easy. That's the thing that unlocks him in a cool way. So, it's really the fusion of those two characters that incite the action in my mind.

MF: Georgina, same question. How would you describe Naomi in your own words?

GC: Naomi, she's someone that's had to grow up fast. So, I feel like she had a child quite young and she's trying to look after her kid and trying to better herself by going to vet school. So, you meet her on this evening where she gets to live out that childish excitement, wonder, and braveness and the curiosity that was put on the back pedal for her for a while.

(L to R) Joe Keery, Liam Neeson and Georgina Campbell in 'Cold Storage'. Photo: StudioCanal.

MF: Joe, what was it like working with veteran actors like Liam Neeson, Lesley Manville, and Vanessa Redgrave?

JK: All three of them were great. I mean, you grow up watching all their movies. I know for Liam, I think of ‘Schindler's List’ and ‘Star Wars: Episode 1’. Then for Lesley, it's like ‘Phantom Thread’. For Vanessa Redgrave, I mean, she's like been killing it forever. So, it's cool to have people who really lead by example on set and put me at ease at least.

MF: Georgina, you’ve appeared in quite a few horror movies. Are you a fan of the genre or are those just the roles that are offered to you?

GC: I'd say it's both. I really love horror. I've always liked it. I go and see horror films all the time, like whatever's coming out, whatever type of horror film. I love them. Then I've been lucky enough to get some great jobs that have been in the genre space. So yeah, I'm a horror girly.

(L to R) Finn Wolfhard as Mike Wheeler, Joe Keery as Steve Harrington, Maya Hawke as Robin Buckley, and Charlie Heaton as Jonathan Byers in 'Stranger Things: Season 5.' Photo: NETFLIX © 2025.

MF: Finally, Joe, now that ‘Stranger Things’ is over, have you had a moment yet to reflect on the show’s impact on both your career and pop culture in general?

JK: What it has meant to me for sure. From the beginning of shooting that last season in 2024, it was like the beginning of about two to three years of “This is the end.” So, at a certain point it was like, “Is this the last of any of this?” It felt like it was just going on. Then there was a harsh realization when the last episode came out. So, I have reckoned with it. I guess the whole experience, especially this last chunk has been about trying to soak it up and appreciate everything that it's meant to me and what it's meant to other people because people grew up with the show, but I also grew up too. I mean, I was 23 when I started. So, it's been a big chunk of my life and I'm sure it will continue to dawn on me for the rest of my life, really, what the experience has meant to me.

Editorial Note: Don Kaye conducted this interview and contributed to this article.

'Cold Storage' opens in theaters on February 13th.

What is the plot of ‘Cold Storage’?

The film follows Travis (Joe Keery) and Naomi (Georgina Campbell), two employees at a self-storage facility built atop a former military base, whose night shift transforms into a nightmare when a government-sealed parasitic fungus escapes from the underground levels. As temperatures rise, the microorganism unleashes its brain-controlling, body-bursting mayhem on anything in its path. The duo must join forces with a weathered bioterror operative to contain the threat before it triggers humanity’s extinction.