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Justin Tipping is opening up about the real inspiration behind his upcoming film Him. The director revealed that the idea came from his childhood experiences attending football games. While the film itself is not about sports, he shared that the atmosphere he grew up around helped shape the concept. Tipping recalled moments from these games that left a lasting impression and eventually made their way into the story.
In an interview with Discussing Film published on September 16, 2025, Tipping described how those events were connected to the new film. He noted that the way fans gathered and transformed themselves in costume stood out to him. He also gave an example from a specific group of fans that played a direct role in shaping the imagery for Him.
While he avoided giving away too much about the plot, he made clear that those experiences became part of the foundation. Justin Tipping revealed that he grew up going to Raiders games in the Bay Area. Fans there would appear in full body paint and gather as a group, creating an image that stayed with him.
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The director shared one vivid memory:
“I went to Raiders games growing up [in the Bay]... there’s a place called the Black Hole behind the end zone and everyone just comes head to toe in body paint. It was just nuts.”
Justin Tipping on how football connects to horror and psychology
In the same conversation, Tipping described why football itself aligns with the horror genre.
“The passion and the fandom, right? Like I grew up in the Bay and went to Raiders games growing up... you don’t have to try very hard in the horror space. You already justifiably can just have anyone show up in the most ridiculous insane thing you want. And it’s actually just pulling from real life,” he said.
He also linked the physicality of the game to horror elements:
“Violence is inherent in the DNA of the game, the collisions and the impacts and that physicality. It’s really just leaning into making the reality body horror and how we frame it, how we lens it, and the execution of the collisions.”
Tipping further noted that football culture gave him a way to explore deeper themes in Him.
“That left an opportunity to have a lot of fun with the psycho horror of it all and the psychology of some of these athletes who want to be the greatest of all,” he added.
By grounding the movie’s origin in these personal stories and linking them with both the visual and physical aspects of football, Justin Tipping made clear how his background shaped the project.
Him is scheduled to be released on September 19, 2025, in the United States and will be available in theaters nationwide through Universal Pictures.
