Before climbing upthe outside of the world’s tallest buildingand clinging to flying airplanes,Tom Cruisehad a prolific film career in all kinds of genres. Back in the early 90s, the actor decided to take a role in one of the titles that would become one of the few horror entries in his filmography: The 1994 goth cult classicInterview With the Vampire. The movie has a lasting legacy, and you will be able to check it out (or rewatch it) this October.
In the story, Cruise playsLestat de Lioncourt, a 200-year-old vampire whose life is changed after he turns Louis de Pointe du Lac (Brad Pitt) into a vampire too. Initially willing to become immortal, Louis starts to realize thatbecoming a vampireis more of a burden than an advantage. He then decides to narrate his life’s story to a reporter. The movie also starsChristian Slater(Blink Twice),Antonio Banderas(Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny),Stephen Rea(V for Vendetta), and a very youngKirsten Dunst(Civil War).
Interview With the Vampirewas pretty well received by audiences. In theaters, it made over $220 million at the box office, making itone of the most successful movies from Cruiseand Pitt’s careers at the time. Among critics, however, the supernatural story was not that enticing — it has a63% approval rateonRotten Tomatoes. CriticslikeRoger Ebertagreed that there were notable qualities to it, especially the way it depicts vampirism as a curse. However,Variety’sTodd McCarthypointed out that it lacks “a strong sense of emotional exchange.”
The ’90s ‘Interview With the Vampire’ Adaptation Was Complicated
The movie was directed byNeil Jordan(Marlowe), and the screenplay was written byAnne Riceherself. The author originally published the novel of the same name in 1976 andwas the best person to condense her own storyinto a two-hour movie. The idea was to start a vampire franchise, but the plans were derailed as time passed. A belated sequel came almost a decade later, with none of the original cast members attached.The Queen of the Damned, also based on the Anne Rice novel, failed to make a splash at the box office andpretty much buried the franchisefor the following decade.
The legacy ofInterview with the Vampirewas resurrected with the 2022 atmospheric series of the same name that kicked off theAnne Rice Immortal Universeat AMC. The hit show is alreadyon track for Season 3, while its sister seriesMayfair Witchesis about to start its second season. Meanwhile, AMC also announced that a new spin-off series set in the same universe and titledThe Talamascais in production.
TheInterview With The Vampiremovie debuts on Max on October 1. You can watch the trailer below:
Interview with the Vampire
A vampire tells his epic life story: love, betrayal, loneliness, and hunger.
