King of Hollywood

Chapter 302: Chapter 27 Became a Gold Medal Screenwriter Chapter 302: Chapter 27 Became a Gold Medal Screenwriter Unsurprisingly, with 2500 theaters, the weekend box office hit $37 million; such are the figures for “Interview with the Vampire”. Very impressive indeed—the only other summer blockbuster that could match it was “Twisters”. One must admit, the vampire theme is an evergreen subject in European and American literature and cinema, which also demonstrates the immense popularity of Anne Rice’s novel.

The response from the critics, for a change, varied somewhat from that of previous films. While “Interview with the Vampire” was still largely commercial, the original novel did delve deeply into human nature and loneliness, topics that naturally featured in the critiques.

“Even though Neil Jordan altered some of the plot, the film gained a humane quality, offering additional material for reflection and afterthought. I have to say, the actors caught me by surprise. Whether it was Tom Cruise’s Lester, Brad Pitt’s Louis, or Kirsten Dunst’s Claudia, they were all stunning. Antonio Banderas might have had fewer scenes than they did, but he shone nonetheless, and even River Phoenix, who made a cameo as a reporter, left a deep impression.”—This is predominantly praise.

“Okay, if you see the director’s plot changes as making the film more accessible to a broader audience, that’s acceptable. But regarding the casting, I still think that Tom Cruise as Lester was a mistake. Yes, he does have a sinister charm, but let’s not forget that in Ms. Rice’s original, Lester is described as a beautiful young man with an angelic face, something I just can’t see in Tom Cruise. The young girl, though, Kirsten Dunst, was sensational. If I had to pick the best performance, she would get my vote.”—This came with criticism.

Overall, the reviews were more positive than not, especially after Anne Rice’s lengthy critique appeared.

“…I had expressed dissatisfaction with the changes made to some parts of the script, but Adrian told me that literature and film are two different things. They may share similarities, but they also have their distinct differences—not all text is suitable to be visualised.

I finally compromised, although reluctantly so at the time, just as I believed Tom Cruise was not the right choice for Lester but was unable to change the film crew’s decision.

Now, it has proven that Adrian’s views were correct. He suggested making minor changes to the plot, which everyone now loves. He proposed casting Tom Cruise as Lester, and Tom did an impeccable job.

Yes, he was phenomenal, as were Brad, Kirsten, and Antonio. They all performed excellently, especially Kirsten. During filming, we couldn’t help but wonder if a 35-year-old soul was hidden in her body several times. But Tom was the most outstanding of all, matching Lester’s characteristics both in appearance and acting….”