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Whenever a new final girl rises in the genre space, those of us in entertainment media are quick — perhaps too quick — to crown the next “scream queen.” There are no hard and fast rules for such a designation; you simply know it when you see it.

In Kathryn Newton’s case, she’s been a fixture in the horror world since she led Paranormal Activity 4 (2012) at just 15 years old. Since then, she’s amassed a total of seven horror films, including Jeff Wadlow’s new shark-infused survival thriller, The Devil’s Mouth, for Amazon Prime Video. (Prior to casting her, Wadlow received a testimonial from Newton’s Paranormal Activity 4 writer, Christopher Landon.)

Considering she’s been fighting for her life on screen for half of her own life, it seems like Newton has moved past the term scream queen. “Empress” has always seemed like the logical next step if royal titles are the basis of the moniker. But Newton says there’s no consensus for any of it despite a horror filmography that also includes Landon’s Freaky, Lisa Frankenstein, Abigail, Ready or Not 2: Here I Come and the upcoming White Elephant.

“I’ve done a lot of interviews, and some people have said, ‘You’re becoming a scream queen.’ Others have said,  ‘You are a scream queen.’ And now you’re calling me an empress,” Newton tells The Hollywood Reporter in support of the July 29 release of The Devil’s Mouth. “So it depends on who you talk to, and time will tell.”

In The Devil’s Mouth, the Miami and Los Angeles-raised actor plays Sara, who’s the fifth wheel during a college friend group’s Thailand vacation. The quintet decide to tour an underwater cave system along the coast, and as expected, the experience quickly goes awry. The story, in a way, is about the danger of not being able to take direction. In other words, it’s important to understand when to lead and when to be led.

For Newton, the shark-centric horror of The Devil’s Mouth was not what compelled her to accept the Thailand-based film that shot immediately after wrapping Radio Silence’s Ready or Not 2: Here I Come. 

“I’ve wanted to do more action. I’ve felt like there’s something that I can bring to an action film because I can do [the action],” Newton says. “That was why I did this one. I wanted to test myself and see where I’m really at, physically.”

Newton shot a handful of movies last year, one of which is Marvel Studios’ highly anticipated Avengers: Doomsday. Newton conducted Devil’s Mouth interviews just a couple days before she’d appear as Scott Lang/Ant-Man’s daughter, Cassie Lang, in the first official trailer. Thus, she was extra paranoid about saying anything consequential, but the experience with Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame directors, the Russo brothers, far exceeded her preconceived notions.

“It was better [than expected]. The Russo brothers love these movies. I felt it, and I felt empowered,” Newton says.

Below, during a conversation with THR, Newton, who’s widely considered to be Hollywood’s best golfer, also discusses how Ready or Not 2: Here I Come was written for her in more ways than one.

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Did you basically say goodbye to your pet goat on the Toronto set of Ready or Not 2 and fly straight to Thailand for The Devil’s Mouth?

NEWTON How did you know!? Yeah, there were two days in between. I went home, changed my suitcase and then flew out again.

That’s two physically challenging jobs back to back. 

NEWTON Yeah, I remember talking to Jeff [Wadlow] when I was on set of Ready or Not 2, and he was worried about me. He was like, “Are you working out? Are you going to be in shape?” And I was like, “You have no idea.” (Laughs.) We were running for our lives every day on Ready or Not, and I was in the best shape of my life, so I was excited for The Devil’s Mouth. I did four or five movies last year, and it was a dream come true. That’s really all you want.

You and Jeff Wadlow hadn’t worked together before, but you’ve both worked with Jason Blum a lot. Did either of you talk to Jason about the other person? 

NEWTON I love Jason, but no.

[Writer’s Note: Wadlow explains below that he reached out to another Blumhouse vet about Newton.]

WADLOW I’d been a fan of Kathryn’s for a while, and I knew she’d practically grown up on Chris Landon’s sets [Paranormal Activity 4 and Freaky]. So right before I jumped on a Zoom with her, I texted Chris to see if he had any insights, and he replied immediately: “She’s incredibly talented, a total pro and an absolute assassin on the golf course.”

You do spend most of your time walking on fresh-cut grass, so what was your relationship to water before this movie?

NEWTON That’s funny, and while you’re right, I haven’t seen grass in a while because I’ve been a little busy. I grew up in Miami, swimming and snorkeling in the ocean. So I thought that I could handle this, and that’s why I wanted to do the film. I knew my physicality as an athlete was going to be highlighted and that I could make the film better. I also knew how to rock climb. So Jeff really knew what he wanted, and he kept it really simple. Sometimes, I would look at him and be like, “I can do that. I don’t need a harness.” And he was like, “You’re right. Let’s shoot it.” So it was fun to be able to do something and make it better because I had the physical capability. 

Considering that almost the entire movie is set in an underwater cave system, I think you’ve undersold how impossible this movie must have been to shoot. Even if the caves were tank sets, it still looks impossible.

NEWTON Well, it wasn’t because we did it. (Laughs.) But what I really mean is that I think I can do anything now. I had never done a movie like this before; none of us had ever done a movie like this before. One day, we were in the middle of the ocean, and I was waiting. I was like, “Jeff, what’s going on?” And he was like, “We didn’t realize how much the camera was going to be bobbing up and down. We’ve got to move the camera.” There were things like that you just don’t plan for. But I don’t think anyone knew the truth of what I was able to do. They had to prepare for the bare minimum, but they still asked a lot of [us]. Emotionally and physically, we all really had to bring it to make it work. Lana Condor is incredible in this movie. So it was more like an opportunity to rise to. There’s a movie that we could have made, and then there’s the one we made. I think we made it really good.

Now that you’ve made seven horror movies, do you feel like you’ve graduated from scream queen to scream empress?

NEWTON You’re funny. I’ve done a lot of interviews today, and some people have said, “You’re becoming a scream queen.” Others have said, “You are a scream queen.” And now you’re calling me an empress. My empire is being formed. So it depends on who you talk to, and time will tell. I actually can’t believe I’ve done seven horror movies at all. Hearing you say that makes me really feel proud, and this one is very different from anything I’ve ever done. I don’t even know how much of a horror film it is. Oftentimes, I feel like the movies I’ve done are more comedies. I feel like Ready or Not 2 is almost a comedy. I know there’s horror elements. 

With Devil’s Mouth, I’ve wanted to do more action. I’ve felt like there’s something that I can bring to an action film because I can do [the action]. That was why I did this one. I wanted to test myself and see where I’m really at, physically. You say you want to be in an action movie? Well, can you make this one? Can you survive this one? Can you make it better? What are you going to do to make this movie worth being watched? Can you entertain people who’ve all seen a shark movie before? You all know what’s going to happen, and I know what’s going to happen, so that was the challenge for me. I find these movies make you very creative and make you a better actor because it’s not really relatable. You don’t know what it’s like to be chased by a shark. We don’t have to do that in our daily lives. So I want to do things that make audiences excited to see them, and I want to keep entertaining people. That’s why I keep coming back to [genre movies].

My editor loves when you and I talk about your golf game …

NEWTON I’m sure! (Laughs.) 

When you shot on a golf course for Ready or Not 2, did you bring a couple clubs to set and get your shots in for the day? 

NEWTON Again, that’s very funny. You know they wrote that movie for me, right?

Of course.

NEWTON They also wrote that golf course bit in for me as a little wink. But the heartbreaking part is I only hit one golf ball that day.

You’ve changed. 

NEWTON I know. I don’t want to talk about it.

Before they returned to Ready or Not 2, Radio Silence wrote an original sister movie for you and Samara Weaving. Did they ever tell you any details about it? 

NEWTON No, I found out about that way later. I didn’t even know about it. So it was in the back of their head that they wanted to bring us together, and when they were offered the chance to revisit Ready or Not 2, they were like, “Maybe this is how we do that.” And I’m so grateful they did. It’s not only a good movie, but I also just love Samara Weaving so much. I’m really happy that they gave me a new friend.

Sam had a rough go of it on that movie. Right before filming started, she could barely stand or move due to a back injury. Did she lean on you a lot during filming? 

NEWTON I thought you were going to say she had a rough go of it because she had to be with me every day. (Laughs.) But no, she never ever swayed. She even got her nails done with me, and she was in pain the whole time. Now she’s a scream queen. She’s a legend.

She’s a scream empress as well. She told me that you accidentally kicked her in the face during the sniper scene. 

NEWTON Well, it’s to be determined if it was an accident, okay? No, it was totally an accident. I love her. 

Did you panic a little bit since she was already in a fragile state? 

NEWTON No, at that point, she was fine and capable. She could handle it.

Lastly, this is the part where everyone in the Zoom gallery starts holding their breath. You have another movie coming out this year called Avengers: Doomsday. To ask the safest question possible, was the experience everything you hoped it would be? 

NEWTON It was better. I don’t know how much I’m allowed to say, but the Russo brothers love these movies. I felt it, and I felt empowered. I think they made … I don’t want to say anything.

I saw a photo of you and Xochitl Gomez in your Marvel costumes …

NEWTON No, you didn’t! 

I don’t mean on Doomsday. I thought I was losing my mind because I didn’t remember the two of you ever sharing a scene together. But then I learned it was for a spot on a cruise ship. (Dominique Thorne’s Riri Williams is also a part of it.)

NEWTON Yeah, we did something for Disney Cruises. Isn’t that cool? Right now, I’m on a Disney cruise ship somewhere on the ocean. But I mean it. The Russo brothers are a different kind of director, and I feel their love. I felt a different kind of energy on their set. So it’s really exciting, and I cannot wait to see [Avengers: Doomsday].

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The Devil’s Mouth is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.