I wanted to make it on an epic scale of something like Gone with the Wind". Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. In the film Interview With the Vampire, Lestat was portrayed by Tom Cruise. Rice later confirmed that creative differences that were beyond those involved resulted in the dismissal of the project in April 2013. A newcomer to a Catholic prep high school falls in with a trio of outcast teenage girls who practice witchcraft, and they all soon conjure up various spells and curses against those who anger them. Was this review helpful to you? "The Ancients Rise" - The scene was originally part of Lestat's satellite dish montage. [61] In November 2016, all plans for a theatrical reboot were scrapped as Rice announced she had regained the rights to her novels and intends to create a television series starting with The Vampire Lestat. Louis describes his human life as a wealthy plantation owner in 1791 Spanish Louisiana. It as if someone picked up a copy of The Vampire Lestat and Queen of the Damned, opened to random pages, made assumptions, got bored and stopped reading, then wrote a screenplay.3. As decades pass, Louis never recovers from the loss of Claudia and dejectedly explores the world alone. With Aaliyah, Stuart Townsend, Marguerite Moreau, Vincent Perez. Although the filmmakers loved every second of the footage, they knew they couldn't show much of it in the movie, again because of pacing and timing. Meanwhile, jealousy and suspicion threaten to tear them apart. "[11], Eventually, Rice became satisfied with Cruise's performance after seeing the completed film, saying that "from the moment he appeared, Tom was Lestat for me" and "that Tom did make Lestat work was something I could not see in a crystal ball." The TV series, instead of starting off with Interview with the Vampire, will begin with the second novel called The Vampire Lestat which is probably going to be the title of the series as well. Review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes reports the film as holding an overall 64% approval rating based on 55 reviews, with a rating average of 6/10. And why not give him a trail?Once you have acknowledged all these things, you can watch the movie. Queen of the Damned Top 5 runners-up (not ranked) – Scott Schuldt, Any combination of two people (or two body parts) –, Any two half-feline/half-human hairballs –, This page was last edited on 19 January 2021, at 05:58. Aimee Nash is a rising young actress and singer. [13] A song titled "Lovers Forever", which Cher wrote along with Shirley Eikhard for the film's soundtrack, got rejected as Pitt was ultimately cast for the role, though a dance-pop version of the song was released on Cher's 2013 album, Closer to the Truth. Pride yourself if you can provide any explanation for what happens at the end of the movie, because "trimming to help the pace" leaves the ending fairly incomprehensible, especially to those who have read the books.Be sure to watch the extra features, the gag reel for laughs and the deleted scenes if you want to know what happened in the movie. Embrace its plot holes and stupid dialog (which lends itself to random quoting), sing along to the entertaining rock songs. In 2006 a musical called Lestat opened on Broadway it was based on the famous characters of Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles, with a score written by Elton John and a Book by Linda Woolverton. [10] The casting was initially criticized by Anne Rice, who said that Cruise was "no more my vampire Lestat than Edward G. Robinson is Rhett Butler",[8] and the casting was "so bizarre; it's almost impossible to imagine how it's going to work". After learning of her bloodlust, and designs to take over humankind, Lestat teams with the other vampire nobility to take her down. In the movie, they took the sensational aspects of Lestat and made that the pulse of the film, and those things are very enjoyable and very good, but for me, there was just nothing to do—you just sit and watch. While Lestat revels in the hunt and killing of humans, Louis resists his instinct to kill, instead drinking animal blood to sustain himself. However, the script lingered in development hell for years, with the rights being sold to Lorimar before finally ending up with Warner Bros.[6] Director Neil Jordan was approached by Warner Bros. to direct after the huge success of his movie The Crying Game (1992). A vampire tells his epic life story: love, betrayal, loneliness, and hunger. In it Marius tells Lestat that what keeps him going is seeing what human beings are going to do next. In it, after Lestat's manager, Roger, brings him two groupies Lestat discovers garlic in Roger's coat pocket. The film focuses on Lestat (Cruise) and Louis (Pitt), beginning with Louis's transformation into a vampire by Lestat in 1791. Rice’s vampire book series told the tale of bloodsuckers Lestat de Lioncourt, Louis, the ever-young Claudia, Armand, Marius and the cast of the Theatres des Vampires. Use the HTML below. Directed by Michael Rymer. The Vampire Lestat (The Vampire Chronicles, Book 2) - Kindle edition by Rice, Anne. Louis encounters vampires Santiago and Armand by chance. Allison Fischer brought down the house as the child Vampire Claudia, a woman trapped forever in a little girl’s body, unschooled in compassion, yet steeped in pain. Every character is different, despite their names (The only one to nail a character was Vincent Perez, the highlight of the movie as Marius. [9] Winston designed the characters' vampire appearances and makeup effects, including a technique for stenciling translucent blue veins on the actors' faces. Mansion, Jesse Dreams of Akasha, Band Watching Videos" - The filmmaker's dropped the scene of Jesse's flight to Los Angeles because they weren't satisfied with the shock dream, featuring Akasha's attack on Jesse. Get a sneak peek of the new version of this page. In this scene we hear a line that was used in the trailers, Khayman says "Akasha takes pleasure in only one thing: Destroying life. Drag Race Holland Finale: Did the Right Queen Snatch the Show's First Crown? Since then, Lestat has appeared in most novels of the series, of which some have explored his life after the events of the first book and thus the movie, in a way. As some of you may already know, Paramount Television and Anonymous Content are working on a TV series based on Anne Rice’s The Vampire Chronicles (there are 11 books total) and the author herself is seeking your help in finding the perfect Lestat. Lestat expresses regret for having turned Claudia into a vampire and asks Louis to rejoin him, but Louis declines and leaves. Jordan stated that: "It's not very often you can make a complicated, dark, dangerous movie and get a big budget for it. "Jesse goes to Admiral's Arms #1" - The filmmakers shot a scene where Jesse visits the Admiral's Arms prior to her Talamasca presentation, but cut for pacing purposes. The 1994 film, based on Anne Rice’s bestselling book of the same name, follows vampires Lestat and Louis, starting with Louis being transformed into a vampire by Lestat. "Sympathy for the Devil" was performed by Guns N' Roses. Watch Stuart Townsend dance around in a mesh shirt and tight pants, and applaud when his shirt disappears, or, if you like it better, watch Aaliyah gyrate in a scanty metal bra contraption. It was cut as a part of the overall de-emphasis of the Ancients. The opening line "Libera me, Domine, de morte æterna" ("Save me, Lord, from eternal death") was changed to "Libera me, Domine, de vita æterna" ("Save me, Lord, from eternal life"). It is a followup to Interview With The Vampire. Armand invites Louis and Claudia to his coven, the Théâtre des Vampires, where the vampires stage theatrical horror shows for humans. The film chronicles their time together, and their turning of ten-year-old Claudia (Kirsten Dunst) into a vampire. [21] The sets designed by Dante Ferretti included the interiors of Louis, Lestat and Claudia's New Orleans townhouse, Claudia and Louis's Paris hotel suite, the Théâtre des Vampires (built on Pinewood's 007 Stage), and the catacombs where the Parisien vampires live. Production history. In modern-day San Francisco, reporter Daniel Molloy interviews Louis de Pointe du Lac, who claims to be a vampire. While Interview was told through the eyes of Louis, this The Vampire Lestat is told from Lestat's point of view. With Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, Antonio Banderas, Kirsten Dunst. An avenging cop seeks out his brother's killer and falls for the daughter of a businessman who is involved in a money-deal with his father. During pre-production, Rice had pleaded with the studio not to produce a film of the book just yet as she believed her readers wanted a film based on the second book in the series, The Vampire Lestat. In an alternate Victorian Age world, a group of famous contemporary fantasy, science fiction, and adventure characters team up on a secret mission. Title: Armand arrives in time to help Louis escape the sunrise, and once again offers him a place by his side. After traveling around Europe and the Mediterranean but finding no other vampires, Louis and Claudia settle harmoniously in Paris in 1870. [28] In subsequent weeks it struggled against Star Trek Generations and The Santa Clause. A group of thieves breaks into a chamber expecting to find paintings, but instead they release the count himself, who travels to New Orleans to find his nemesis' daughter, Mary Van Helsing. Shortly thereafter, the Parisian vampires abduct the three of them and punish them for Lestat's murder, imprisoning Louis in a coffin and trapping Claudia and Madeleine in a chamber, where sunlight burns them to ash. A certain vampire can't fly? Louis concludes his interview with Molloy, prompting Molloy to beseech Louis to make him his new vampire companion. Try and figure out what each of the ancients are named. Written by After learning of her bloodlust, and designs to take over humankind, Lestat teams with the other vampire nobility to take her down. The film was released in November 1994 to generally positive reviews[3] and was a commercial success. This was the band's last major release before the departure of Slash and Duff McKagan. As the Ancients watch the partying concert-goers, Khayman notes "Akasha will not be able to resist this. The Vampire Chronicles also inspired a Broadway musical called Lestat. The following is a list of characters from Anne Rice's The Vampire Chronicles, which began with the 1976 novel Interview with the Vampire.The series primarily follows the antihero Lestat de Lioncourt, a French nobleman turned into a vampire in the 18th century, and by extension the many humans and vampires whose lives he has touched in his own long existence. Total gross in the United States was $105 million, while the total including international gross was $224 million, with an estimated budget of $60 million. Lestat senses Louis's dissatisfaction with life and offers to turn him into a vampire. On their way out of the theater, Santiago reads Louis's mind and suspects that Louis and Claudia murdered Lestat. The site's consensus reads: "Despite lacking some of the book's subtler shadings, and suffering from some clumsy casting, Interview with the Vampire benefits from Neil Jordan's atmospheric direction and a surfeit of gothic thrills. Lestat attacks them, but Louis sets him on fire and, in the ensuing blaze, they are able to escape to their ship and depart. Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles. In “The Vampire Lestat,” Lestat often breaks the fourth wall and speaks directly to the readers, which could make for some interesting moments in the television series. [12], Due to Rice's perception of Hollywood's homophobia, at one point she rewrote the part of Louis, changing his sex to female, in order to specifically heterosexualize the character's relationship with Lestat. The film's musical score was written by Elliot Goldenthal and received an Oscar nomination for Best Original Score. "Marius talks with Lestat on the Beach" - The scene was trimmed to improve pacing. The film chronicles their time together, and their turning of ten-year-old Claudia (Kirsten Dunst) into a vampire. "Ancients at Hollywood Sign" - The Ancients storyline was reduced during the course of production because filmmakers felt that there were too many conflicting vampire agendas in the movie. In it we just see Jesse getting off the subway and then walking down a dark alley towards the Admiral's Arms. And in the meantime, he has this Lestat character that he's entranced by and abhors. Good job.) Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. His music also awakens the queen of the damned, Akasha the first vampire, who decides to make Lestat her king. 2 spot with a solid take", "Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles Reviews", "FILM REVIEW: INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE; Rapture and Terror, Bound by Blood", "Interview with the Vampire movie review (1994)", "CINEMA: Toothless: Interview with the Vampire falls flat, despite Tom Cruise", "Cruise's Vampire Turns Off Oprah - She Walks Out", "Oklahoman Movie Critics Rank Their Favorites for the Year "Forrest Gump" The Very Best, Sandi Declares", "Oklahoman Movie Critics Rank Their Favorites for the Year Without a Doubt, Blue Ribbon Goes to "Pulp Fiction," Scott Says", "CRITIC'S NOTEBOOK; The Good, Bad and In-Between In a Year of Surprises on Film", "Interview with the Vampire (1994) [13176]", "Anne Rice's 'Tale of the Body Thief' In Development With Imagine, Kurtzman/Orci", "Universal buys rights to Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles book series", "Interview with the Vampire remake: Jared Leto is screenwriters pick to play Lestat", Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Screen Combo, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Interview_with_the_Vampire_(film)&oldid=1001326968, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2012, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. She suggested that Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise switch roles, stating that "I tried for a long time to tell them that they should just reverse these roles—have Brad Pitt play Lestat and have Tom Cruise play Louis. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. The rights to Rice's novel were initially purchased by Paramount Pictures in April 1976, shortly before the book was published. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading The Vampire Lestat (The Vampire Chronicles, Book 2). The vampires just do whatever is coolest. It was reported that screenwriter Lee Patterson was going to pen the screenplay. The plot of the movie is not based on the books. [12], Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles was a box-office success, opening on November 11, 1994. "Groupies with 'Garlic' End" - This scene was cut because the garlic joke was thought to be tonally off. A vampire tells his epic life story: love, betrayal, loneliness, and hunger. A new film adaptation of the book has been written by Josh Boone and was announced in May 2016, with Boone suggesting actor Jared Leto play the role of Lestat. Disgusted by Lestat's pleasure in killing, Louis comes to suffer tremendously as a vampire. [18] The depiction of 18th- and early-19th-century New Orleans was achieved with a combination of location shooting in the French Quarter of New Orleans and filming on a purpose-built waterfront set along the Mississippi river. "L.A. She recommended a number of other actors including John Malkovich, Peter Weller, Jeremy Irons, and Alexander Godunov. The screenings were held over the objection of Neil Jordan, who was planning on further paring down the length of the film before previewing it, but Geffen wanted to show the longer version in order to "get a feel for what the audience wanted." [58], In August 2014 Universal Pictures acquired the rights to the entire Vampire Chronicles. Tis the season for vampires! Not only does he have the sequel to Interview named after him (The Vampire Lestat); he has also been portrayed in two movies by two Hollywood hunks: Tom Cruise and Stuart … Revived by Molloy's blood, Lestat offers Molloy the choice that he "never had" — whether or not to become a vampire — and, laughing, continues driving over the bridge. the movie cast of the vampire lestat if i had cast it. The film was negatively received by critics, and Rice dismissed it completely as she felt the filmmakers had "mutilated" her work. Having to choose the actor to portray Lestat in the upcoming Vampire Chronicles out of all the talented actors out there is by no means a small undertaking. The narrative is framed by a present-day interview, in which Louis tells his story to a San Francisco reporter. “The Vampire Chronicles” series follows vampire Lestat de Lioncourt who serves as hero, antihero, and narrator. [4] Kirsten Dunst was additionally nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the film. Why not? Rice was refused the cooperation of the studio. A stand-alone sequel, Queen of the Damned, was released in 2002, with Stuart Townsend replacing Cruise as Lestat. Taking up as the leader of an undead band, Lestat gains fame but exposes vampires, drawing the attention of vampire enthusiast Jesse. The author took to Facebook last night asking fans to chime in with their personal favorites to play the iconic role of Lestat de Lioncourt, the [13] At the time, Rice felt it was the only way to get the film made, and singer-actress Cher was considered for the part. The vampire hero of Anne Rice's enthralling new novel is a creature of the darkest and richest imagination. Almost a decade after this film, an adaptation for the third book in the series, The Queen of the Damned, was produced and distributed once again by Warner Bros. Cruise and Pitt did not reprise their roles as Lestat and Louis. It received Oscar nominations for Best Art Direction and Best Original Score. Come out, come out, wherever you are.". Despite the clear fan base, The Vampire Chronicles TV Show has not had an easy road to production. Armand does nothing to prevent this, but the next day he frees Louis. Meanwhile, the scene with the band was trimmed because the filmmakers decided it didn't make much sense to dwell on them here. The musical had a reading in November 2003, with the title The Vampire Lestat. [24][25] Director Neil Jordan was initially hesitant to use Stan Winston Studios, because they had gained a reputation for specializing in large-scale animatronics and CGI with Jurassic Park and Terminator 2: Judgment Day; Interview with the Vampire was going to require mostly makeup effects. 178 of 248 people found this review helpful. They spend weeks planning a voyage to Europe to search for other vampires, but Lestat returns on the night of their departure, having survived on the blood of swamp creatures. View production, box office, & company info. [27] Winston also sculpted the rough model for the charred remains of Claudia and Madeleine, using archival photographs of victims from Hiroshima for inspiration. [15] The film has a dedication to Phoenix after the end credits. However, Rice's son, Christopher, apparently had drafted a screenplay based on the novel that was met with praise from those involved in the developmental stage. Which was probably applicable to me at that time: 'Am I good? After Jesse writes the note she goes out into a desert highway and hitches a ride with some friendly goths on their way to Lestat's concert. Let's just hope it is actually good and performs well because if … However, they regret trimming the flying sequence, as it establishes a suitably romantic mood. Brad Pitt admitted in a 2011 interview with Entertainment Weekly that he was "miserable" while making the film and even tried to buy himself out of his contract at one point. [7], Author Anne Rice adapted her 1976 novel Interview with the Vampire into a screenplay with French actor Alain Delon in mind for the role of Louis. [31] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale. To entice Louis to stay with him, Lestat turns the dying girl, Claudia, into a vampire. 'Santa Clause' sleighs into the No. Louis is outraged that Molloy has not understood the tale of suffering he has related, and attacks Molloy to scare him into abandoning the idea. Lestat : Whining coward of a vampire that prowls the night killing rats and poodles; you could have finished us both. [24] The most difficult digital effects to illustrate were Louis and Claudia's transformations into vampires, which were technologically very advanced for the time. "[30] The film holds a 59/100 on Metacritic from 19 reviews. The centuries old vampire Count Dracula comes to England to seduce his barrister Jonathan Harker's fiancée Mina Murray and inflict havoc in the foreign land. An origins story centered on the centuries-old feud between the race of aristocratic vampires and their onetime slaves, the Lycans. 2. Wattles Mansion - 1824 N. Curson Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA. Opening weekend grosses amounted to $36.4 million, placing it in the number one position at the US box office. ", "Akasha Dances" - Basically an extended version of the scene where Akasha kills all the vampires at the Admiral's Arms. [6], Digital effects were used mainly to add small details or to enhance certain physical effects, like the burning of the New Orleans set or the burning of Louis's plantation, whereby CGI flames were imposed on a miniature of the house. Interview with the Vampire is the first book in Anne Rice’s The Vampire Chronicles, and was followed by The Vampire Lestat in 1985. Having said that, here are the following actors that first come to mind when I imagine Lestat in the real world, having read the books many times while growing up. The narrative is framed by a present-day interview, in which Louis tells his story to a San Francisco reporter. But these things are unconscious, I don't have an agenda."[7]. Interview with the Vampire is a 1994 American gothic horror film directed by Neil Jordan, based on Anne Rice's 1976 novel of the same name, and starring Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt. In this scene Akasha speaks the famous line which was used in the trailers, "Lestat. Louis rejects Armand and leaves, knowing Armand had allowed Claudia's murder so that he could have Louis to himself. Thirty years pass, and Claudia matures psychologically but remains a little girl in appearance and continues to be treated as such by Lestat. Lestat. He unfavorably contrasted the character of Louis which he had admired in the book to that presented in the script: In the book you have this guy asking, 'Who am I?' "Band Backstage at Concert, Jesse Walks Through Crowd, Ancients Watch" An extended version of the scene where Jesse arrives at the concert where we see the band hanging out backstage as the Ancients arrive in search of Jesse. Wandering the streets of New Orleans amid an outbreak of plague, Louis can resist his hunger no more and feeds on a little girl whose mother died in the plague. Louis : You've condemned me to Hell. Ready for blood suckers of the non-sparkly variety? Eventually about 20 minutes' worth of footage was either cut or re-arranged before the theatrical version was ready. The film focuses on Lestat (Cruise) and Louis (Pitt), beginning with Louis's transformation into a vampire by Lestat in 1791. This is not heavy stuff like Interview with the Vampire. Lestat then turns Jesse into his undead mistress to spend eternity together. Louis then vanishes, and Molloy runs to his car and takes off, while playing the cassette tapes of Louis' interview in his car. It's what these two do best. Eleven-year-old actress Kirsten Dunst was spotted by talent scouts and was the first girl tested for the role of Claudia.[8]. He returns to New Orleans in 1988 and one night encounters a decayed, weakened Lestat, living as a recluse in an abandoned mansion and surviving on rat blood as Louis once had. For the novel, see, "The 67th Academy Awards (1995) Nominees and Winners", "20 Things You Probably Didn't Know About the 'Interview with the Vampire' Movie, Part 1", "Interview with a Vampire director Neil Jordan: I had a great time making this movie, but there's a dark Catholic guilt underneath", "20 Things You Probably Didn't Know About the 'Interview with the Vampire' Movie, Part 2", "Anne Rice: Interview With the Author of Interview with the Vampire", "Rice's About-Face: Cruise is Lestat: After Screening 'Interview with the Vampire', Author Lauds His Work", "Film locations for Interview with the Vampire", "Brad Pitt on This Week's Cover: A frank, funny, uncensored interview about his life and career", "Love at First Bite: 'Vampire' Tears Into Box Office : Movies: Warners film looks to be the fourth largest debut ever. Directed by Neil Jordan. Roderick Hill was vulnerable, seductive and heartbreaking as Lestat’s boyhood friend Nicolas. She tricks Lestat into drinking the "dead blood" of twin boys whom she killed by overdose with laudanum, which weakens Lestat, and then slits his throat. [26] The scene where Claudia cuts Lestat's throat was achieved by transferring from Tom Cruise bleeding from a prosthetic wound to an animatronic model designed to 'wither' as it bled out, enhanced with CGI blood. [22] Shooting took place in San Francisco, mainly on the Golden Gate Bridge, with the external façade of Louis's hotel located at the intersection of Taylor Street, Market Street, and Golden Gate Avenue. [32], Praise from The New York Times' Elvis Mitchell[33] and the Chicago Sun-Times' Roger Ebert[34] was tempered by poor reviews by The Washington Post's Rita Kempley[35] and Desson Howe[36] and Time magazine's Richard Corliss. She called Cruise to compliment him and admit that she was wrong.