Neil Jordan, Director of The 1994s A conversation with a vampire adaptation, explaining the controversial decision to cast Tom Cruise as the vampire Lestat. Based on the 1976 best-selling novel by Anne Rice. A conversation with a vampire Brad Pitt tells the story of 200-year-old Louis de Pointe du Lac as he narrates his life as a vampire to a modern-day reporter (played by Christian Slater). When Cruise was first cast as Pitt’s vampire father and immortal companion, Rice opposed the decision and recommended several other options to the producers, including British actor Julian Sands.
Recently spoke with Jordan /Film off the back of his latest release, the Crime thriller directed by Liam Neeson Marlowe. During the conversation, the topic turned to his 1994 vampire film and his decision to cast Cruise as Lestat de Lioncourt. Noting that the star’s immense fame could help him portray the character, the director highlighted the parallels between being famous and being an immortal bloodsucker. Check out his comments below:
I also saw Tom’s life – because he was the biggest star in the world at the time – he had to retreat into the shadows because he couldn’t reveal himself too much. (…) I saw some similarity between the life of a vampire and the life of a very, very big star, let’s put it that way.
Why Cruise’s Casting Was Controversial (And How She Proved Everyone Wrong)
Since Cruise first brought Lestat to the screen, his character has both been played by Stewart Townsend. 2002 years Queen of the Damned and Sam Reed in the most recent AMC TV series. However, there were times when fans of Rice’s original work were very interested in who would eventually be the first actor to take on the role of his iconic Brat Prince. With plans for a film adaptation A conversation with a vampire Even before the first book was officially published, when Jordan took over the reins in the early 90s, rumors ran rampant among Rice readers.
When it was first announced that Cruise would be taking on the role, many assumed it was grossly inaccurate, even by the original writer himself. The casting of Cruise “very strange; it is almost impossible to imagine how it worksRice even suggested at one point that Jordan switch roles and have Pitt play Lestat. However, Jordan trusted his decision and went ahead regardless, and Cruise eventually went on to prove his doubters wrong.
imbuing Lestat with a sense of effortless charm and self-assured arrogance, the Mission: Impossible actor even convincing Rice that he was the right man for the job, despite his very public and vocal doubts. When Rice finally saw the finished film, the author and many of his readers quickly retracted their earlier statements, with Rice even calling the star to apologize and admit he was wrong. Now, years later, the release of Cruise A conversation with a vampire still remains one of the most memorable tours of his four-decade career.
Source: /Film