Mason Gooding Stars As The Knockturnal’s Nineteenth Digital Cover

With the upcoming release of new slasher film ‘Heart Eyes’, Gooding brings charm, chaos, and killer Instincts.

Mason Gooding has spent the past few years carving out a place for himself in film and TV, seamlessly blending charm, humor, and a commanding on-screen presence. From his breakout role in HBO’s Ballers to scene-stealing performances in the Scream franchise, he’s proven to be more than just a leading man—he’s a storyteller with range.

Now, he’s stepping into something different: a genre-bending, adrenaline-fueled horror rom-com.

Heart Eyes, directed by Josh Ruben, isn’t your typical Valentine’s Day movie. It’s a film that Gooding describes as “a rom-com that gets hijacked by a horror film”—and if the eerie, slowed-down cover of Frankie Valli’s Can’t Take My Eyes Off You in the teaser trailer is any indication, audiences are in for something unexpected.

Shot in Auckland, New Zealand over the summer of 2024 but set in Seattle, the Spyglass feature follows Ally (Olivia Holt) and Jay (Gooding), a pair of co-workers whose night takes a turn for the terrifying when a masked killer sets out for romantic couples, mistaking them for one. The film leans into classic slasher tropes but injects them with a fresh, self-aware energy that makes it stand out. 

Gooding is no stranger to horror franchises, having played Chad Meeks-Martin in two Scream films, with a third (Scream 7) on the way. But Heart Eyes introduces a new kind of slasher villain—one that makes Ghostface seem almost restrained.

“Ghostface has a more nuanced, domesticated style of terror where they’ll use the element of surprise, in a way that Heart Eyes is far more brutal about their methods of murder,” he explains.

Still, no matter the franchise, Gooding’s approach to horror behind the scenes remains the same: it’s all about connection. 

The best part about [both] Scream and Heart Eyes specifically is the built-in narrative that I have a ‘partner’… Jasmin Savoy Brown, who plays my sister in Scream, and Olivia Holt in Heart Eyes. Part of my ethos as an actor is ‘how do I support my costars and the people I’m in a scene with?’ And in both cases, they’re very thoughtful, giving, intelligent people far beyond my capabilities.

The film also boasts a talented ensemble, including Gigi Zumbado as Ally’s friend, Michaela Watkins as Ally and Jay’s boss, Devon Sawa as Detective Hobbs, Jordana Brewster as Detective Shaw, and writers Michael Kennedy, Phillip Murphy, and Christopher Landon.

While Heart Eyes lets Gooding flex his comedic muscles through terror, he’s steadily built a résumé filled with dynamic roles across film and television. Last year, he starred in Kyle Mooney’s directorial debut Y2K, an A24 thriller that reimagines the infamous Y2K scare, alongside Rachel Zegler and Alicia Silverstone. He also appeared in the Amazon romantic comedy I Want You Back with Charlie Day and Jenny Slate, as well as Moonshot, an HBO Max sci-fi rom-com opposite Lana Condor and Cole Sprouse.

On the TV side, Gooding led Hulu’s Love, Victor, the hit series set in the world of Love, Simon, and even lent his voice to  podcast Electric Easy, a musical neo-noir science fiction show set in a futuristic Los Angeles with Chloe Bailey. 

Despite his experience playing a horror survivor, you’d think Gooding would have some survival instincts if he ever found himself in a real-life slasher scenario. His verdict? Not so much.

I want to say I would win. I’d be the last man standing, I would fight any time I saw them and try my best. But the real answer is, I would die. I wouldn’t see them coming, and I’d be that asshole that was like, ‘EVERYONE GO, I’LL TAKE HIM,’ and then there’s like, six of them.

That relatability is part of what makes him such a compelling presence on screen. His character Jay is equal parts endearing and hilarious, incorporating improv too good to leave out.

As he continues to evolve in his career, shifting between genres and pushing creative boundaries, one thing is clear: Mason Gooding isn’t just playing the roles—he’s shaping them. And with Heart Eyes, he’s proving once again why he’s one of Hollywood’s most exciting rising stars.

Heart Eyes is in theaters on February 7.

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Photographer: Harol Baez @harolbaezstudio
Photographer Assistant: Chris Fucile @chrisfucilephotography
Stylist: Mike Stallings @mikestallingsny
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