Mario Van Peebles: Superstition, Family Filmmaking Legacy, and Directing Multi-Generational Stories

Mario Van Peebles brings his signature charisma to discussing Syfy's "Superstition," where he serves as director, writer, producer, and actor in a Gothic Americana series that explores the rich tapestry of American supernatural folklore. Drawing from his upbringing in the Van Peebles independent film family business—which he compares to growing up on a family farm where you learn every aspect of the operation—Mario explains how working with Clint Eastwood on "Heartbreak Ridge" reinforced the value of understanding all aspects of filmmaking. He dismisses the notion that his diverse recognition across demographics (from military fans of "Heartbreak Ridge" to brothers who loved "New Jack City" to Broadway audiences) means different things, noting with humor that people who've seen his "early porn work" are disappointed—though he's kidding about that last part.Mario's vision for "Superstition" goes beyond typical monster-of-the-week storytelling, focusing on a loving family running the Hastings Funeral Home while battling infernal demons emerging as humanity damages the planet. He emphasizes incorporating the wisdom his father Melvin Van Peebles passed down, like "luck is preparation meets opportunity" and "it's not the stuff you face that defines you, it's how you face it that reveals you." Working alongside his daughter Morgana (who plays his granddaughter and enjoys calling him "grandpa" to his annoyance) and featuring a diverse cast representing white, Black, straight, and gay characters, the show forces audiences to embrace and learn from the human family that is America. Mario admits he avoids superstitions generally but confesses to recently disposing of his day-of-the-week socks after mixing up Thursday and Friday pairs felt like bad luck, and he definitely wasn't walking under a ladder on Friday the 13th while filming.