30 Days of Night sequel to shoot - Dark Days

[Captain Craig]

30 Days of Night: Dark Days is to begin shooting in October. There just aren't enough vampire projects going on at the moment it seems.
With Twilight, True Blood, Vampire Dairies the most prevalant there was also news of RDJ being cast as the new Lestat for another Vampire Chronicles movie, news of a 4th Underworld being written for 3-D, Tim Burton/Johnny Depp to start a Dark Shadows film in April 2010 and rumors of a Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot also out there. Frankly I'm surprised a straight up Dracula movie isn't in the works right now, its about the only thing.

Anyway, I liked 30 Days of Night and like it a bit more since it seems Twilight and I suspect Vampire Dairies are filing the fangs down on vamp lore for the current generation. Be good to see move vamps actually being vamps.

Ketai and Niles developed the story has Stella Oleson, Melissa George's character from the original, joining a group of vampire hunters to get revenge on Lilith, the vampire responsible for the Alaskan attack seen in the first film.
George however will not return, the role is to be recast. Ketai previously worked on the web series tie-in for the first film.
Shooting kicks off this October in Vancouver.

Too bad Melissa George will not return. I know her calendar must be full of projects demanding her attention.

Original movie teaser poster

 

[cb31]

I'm interested in seeing this! I liked the first one and thought having it set in Alaska was a neat idea.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

How bout a Sarah Palin lookalike as one of the vamps?

 

[Out Of My Vulcan Mind]

How bout a Sarah Palin lookalike as one of the vamps?

A Sarah Palin lookalike taking out the vamps would be better.

As for Melissa George not returning, it looks like this sequel is going to be made on a reduced budget and may well go direct to DVD, so it's no surprise that she opted to shoot a theatrical film instead (she's currently co-starring in Swinging with the Finkels with Mandy Moore).

 

[BigFoot]

I enjoyed the original, so I'll definitely check this out.

 

[Aragorn]

Too bad Melissa George will not return. I know her calendar must be full of projects demanding her attention.

Yes, because actors should always return for sequels in the name of artistic integrity and pleasing the fans. Who knows where Jennifer Aniston's career would've taken her if she had returned for Leprechaun 2-6. And I'm boycotting Eddie Murphy now after he didn't return for Daddy Day Camp!

 

[Captain Craig]

Too bad Melissa George will not return. I know her calendar must be full of projects demanding her attention.

Yes, because actors should always return for sequels in the name of artistic integrity and pleasing the fans. Who knows where Jennifer Aniston's career would've taken her if she had returned for Leprechaun 2-6. And I'm boycotting Eddie Murphy now after he didn't return for Daddy Day Camp!

You miss read it that I think she is some franchise stopper. She was good in the part, yes. My point there was regardless of it she doesn't have so much going on she couldn't do it regardless if it becomes a DDVD movie or theatrical.

 

[Worf2DS9]

Who is this Lilith character? Wasn't Danny Huston's vamp in charge of the attack? Or was there more backstory in the graphic novel that didn't make it to the film?

Anyway, I really liked the first movie, though it sucks George won't be back, whatever her reasons are. I generally dislike recasting continuing roles in a movie series.

 

[scnj]

Who is this Lilith character? Wasn't Danny Huston's vamp in charge of the attack? Or was there more backstory in the graphic novel that didn't make it to the film?

Anyway, I really liked the first movie, though it sucks George won't be back, whatever her reasons are. I generally dislike recasting continuing roles in a movie series.

Lilith is essentially the Vampire 'Queen' in New Orleans if I remember correctly. It's been years since I read the comics.

 

[Captain Craig]

The full cast list has now been announced.

Rhys Coiro (TV's "Entourage"), Harold Perrineau ("Lost"), Kiele Sanchez ("A Perfect Getaway"), Diora Baird ("Texas Chiansaw Massacre: The Beginning"), Mia Kirshner ("The Black Dahlia") and Monique Ganderton have all joined the cast of "30 Days of Night: Dark Days" for Sony Pictures says Bloody Disgusting.
A direct-to-DVD sequel to the 2007 feature film adaptation of Steve Niles' graphic novel, the story follows a desperate and lonely Stella who decides to join a group of rogue vampire hunters to seek revenge on Lilith, the powerful vampire responsible for the attack on her Alaskan town
Ben Ketai helms the project which began shooting this week.

I wish they'd actually try to put this out in theaters. I can't imagine the budget is too high. I mean Halloween(reboot) and Saw films are shot for under $25, heck $20m most times.
With Vampires being such a draw I'd take a shot at putting this out for at least a month. They wouldn't even need to spend much on marketing.

 

[Cutter John]

Guess they figure the 30 Days vamps aren't pretty enough for the theater.

 

[Worf2DS9]

Is Kiele Sanchez the one filling in for the sadly-absent Melissa George?

 

[Aragorn]

The director is still trying to get George.

You miss read it that I think she is some franchise stopper. She was good in the part, yes. My point there was regardless of it she doesn't have so much going on she couldn't do it regardless if it becomes a DDVD movie or theatrical.

Are you also upset Liam Neeson didn't return for Darkman II and III?

 

[JacksonArcher]

Steve Niles, who is co-writing and co-executive producing this time, said that a reduced budget and direct-to-DVD approach is not necessarily a bad thing. He mentioned there's a slight possibility the film might get a limited theatrical release and even if it doesn't, being direct-to-DVD allows more flexibility to remain closer to the comic as well as find strong success like Trick R Treat did. Of course, that movie had two years in building positive buzz and anticipation but perhaps Dark Days might have a tiny chance to replicate some of that success on DVD.

 

[Captaindemotion]

I missed the original when it was in the cinema and recorded it recently on tv. Watched it last night, as I thought it would be suitable Halloween fare. I really enjoyed it - a good, gory take on vampire mythos. Interesting and poignant twist near the end too. But I'm not sure it cried out for a sequel. Still, if I thought the sequel was anywhere near as good, I'd probably check it out. But the plot for the sequel sounds a bit derivative (John Carpenters Vampire$ anyone) and lacks the brilliant 'Vamps-in-a-town-that-has-no-sun-for-a-month' premise of the original).

As regards Melissa George's non-return, she's rightly getting great acclaim for her part in In Treatment and starred in the recent and well-received Triangle. She also had a recurring role in Grey's Anatomy and has a few current and future projects in her IMDB page. Hardly surprising she doesn't want to come back for a direct-to-DVD sequel.

 

[Captain Craig]

Steve Niles, who is co-writing and co-executive producing this time, said...there's a slight possibility the film might get a limited theatrical release...

A short release of 2-3 weeks around Halloween would be all it needed. Especially since it seems the SAW franchise isn't the threat it used to be. It's ruled the October slot the last few years and scarred other movies out of the month like Wolfman & Trick R Treat. Those two I recall reading the move was SAW related. I wouldn't be surprised if Underworld Rise of Lycans was moved to avoid SAW and they just didn't mention it.

As regards Melissa George's non-return, she's rightly getting great acclaim for her part in In Treatment and starred in the recent and well-received Triangle. She also had a recurring role in Grey's Anatomy and has a few current and future projects in her IMDB page. Hardly surprising she doesn't want to come back for a direct-to-DVD sequel.

Her participation is what could've given it a shot at theatrical release. She has at least as much name recognition as some other smaller stars(Jennifer Carpenter of Dexter) who have gotten theatrical releases(Quarantine).

 

[Captaindemotion]

^ Could be she just didn't like the script. Or the fee!

 

[Aragorn]

Picture from the sequel. It looks like Kiele Sanchez is playing Melissa George's role:

 

[Aragorn]

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZegnjctIQ4[/yt]

Starring Kiele Sanchez, Rhys Coiro, Diora Baird, Harold Perrineau and Mia Kirshner.

 

[Kemaiku]

Steve Niles, who is co-writing and co-executive producing this time, said...there's a slight possibility the film might get a limited theatrical release...

A short release of 2-3 weeks around Halloween would be all it needed. Especially since it seems the SAW franchise isn't the threat it used to be. It's ruled the October slot the last few years and scarred other movies out of the month like Wolfman & Trick R Treat. Those two I recall reading the move was SAW related. I wouldn't be surprised if Underworld Rise of Lycans was moved to avoid SAW and they just didn't mention it.

Underworld 3 had several production problems that knocked the schedule back more than once, it would have seen a September release like the original but it was nearly February of 2009 when it came out.

Underworld 4 suffered a more serious setback than that and has been pushed from January to September of 2011 because of it, they just seem to have bad luck with each film when it gets closer to the release date.