Interview With the Vampire Director Reveals Why Sequel Never Got Made

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As a cinephile who has spent countless hours poring over film history and indulging in the rich tapestry of cinematic storytelling, I can confidently say that Interview with the Vampire is one of those rare gems that transcends time and continues to captivate audiences 30 years after its release. The film’s enduring appeal lies not only in its compelling narrative but also in the masterful direction of Neil Jordan and the enigmatic performance of Tom Cruise as Lestat.

Today marks the 30th anniversary of the release of “Interview with the Vampire,” and in a recent conversation with Variety, director Neil Jordan took a stroll down memory lane regarding his 1994 vampire masterpiece. He also shared the reason why the sequel to this classic never came to fruition.

According to Anne Rice’s 1976 novel, “The Vampire Lestat” was launched on November 11, 1994, and ultimately earned over $220 million at the box office. However, despite such impressive figures, there was one factor that cast a shadow over its success: Tom Cruise.

Jordan devoted a significant chunk of his time crafting the script for the sequel, aligning it with Rice’s second book from the Vampire Chronicles series, published in 1985. Despite the fact that Interview with the Vampire was both critically acclaimed and commercially successful, Jordan claims Cruise wasn’t keen on reprising his role as Lestat, effectively halting everything in its tracks.

Initially, I was tasked with drafting a script for The Vampire Lestat. However, Tom expressed no interest in reprising his role. To put it plainly, if that had changed, the project would have taken on a new form. But at that point, Mr. Cruise wasn’t taking on sequels yet.

Fun fact, I got drawn back into the Mission: Impossible world a few years after the initial release in 1996, with the sequel, Mission: Impossible 2, hitting screens in 2000. This franchise has proven to be a significant money-spinner for Paramount, and they’re all set to roll out the eighth movie in the series next year.

Unfortunately, the “Vampire Chronicles” franchise hasn’t had much luck in terms of movie adaptations. After its initial success with “Interview with the Vampire” (1994), only one more theatrical film was released – 2002’s “Queen of the Damned”, starring Stuart Townsend as Lestat, which didn’t fare as well with critics. A television adaptation of “Interview with the Vampire” aired on AMC in 2022 and has been successful, even being renewed for a third season that is expected to bring fans their long-awaited portrayal of Lestat from “The Vampire Chronicles”.

Neil Jordan Addresses Tom Cruise Backlash

When it was announced that Tom Cruise had been given the part of Lestat in Interview with the Vampire, there was an instant negative reaction from author Anne Rice, who described the decision as “odd.” She expressed a preference for actors like Rutger Hauer or Jeremy Irons to take on the role and even suggested John Malkovich and Peter Weller instead of Cruise.

After everything fell into place and Rice witnessed Tom’s performance, she recanted her previous words, exclaiming “I never could have foreseen in a crystal ball that Tom would breathe life into Lestat.” For Jordan, he admitted that Rice’s initial criticism created numerous issues for the production. He even went as far as to tell Variety that everyone involved felt like they were playing vampires during filming.

Making this film felt as if we were working in secret, hidden from the public eye almost like elusive vampires. This secrecy added an extra layer of intensity to our work, creating a unique and somewhat isolating environment for us. As we filmed large scenes in cities such as San Francisco, New Orleans, London, and Paris, we had to take great care to avoid paparazzi and maintain privacy about our project.

Fortunately, everything turned out well, and “Interview with the Vampire” has since become a cherished classic over time, and truth be told, one of Cruise’s best performances. As for whether there will be more theatrical adaptations of Rice’s “Vampire Chronicles” in the future, that remains to be determined. However, given the success of the AMC series, it seems unlikely that Lestat and his companions will grace the big screen anytime soon.

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2024-11-11 23:03