'''30 Days of Night''' is a
2007 horror film based on the
comic book miniseries of the
same name. The film is directed by
David Slade and stars
Josh Hartnett and
Melissa George. The film is slated for an
October 19,
2007 release.
Plot outline
In sleepy, secluded
Barrow, Alaska, the sun sets and doesn't rise for over thirty consecutive days and nights. From the darkness, across the frozen wasteland, an evil will come that will bring the residents of Barrow to their knees. The only hope for the town is the Sheriff (
Josh Hartnett) and Deputy (
Melissa George), a husband and wife who are torn between their own survival and saving the town they love.
Cast
Production
Following the publication of the ''
30 Days of Night''
comic book miniseries in 2002, studios, including
DreamWorks,
MGM, and Senator International, bid in the $1 million range for rights to a potential vampire film based on the story. Director and producer
Sam Raimi expressed interest in adapting the miniseries and was negotiating a production deal with his producting partner
Robert Tapert to establish a label with Senator Entertainment, of which Senator International is the sales division.
[1] In July 2002, Senator International acquired the rights for ''30 Days of Night'' in a seven figure deal with Raimi and Tapert attached as producers. ''30 Days of Night'' author
Steve Niles originally conceived of the story in the form of a film but after meeting a lack of interest in initial pitches to studios, Niles was able to produce it as a comic with
Ben Templesmith deciding to collaborate on the project and provide artwork. When Niles and his agent, Jon Levin, shopped the comic around as a potential film adaptation, Niles found that the idea "went shockingly well," with
Sam Raimi and
Senator International picking up the property based on the original concept and Templesmith's unique mood and concepts for the vampires.
[2]
According to Raimi, the potential project was "unlike the horror films of recent years".
[3]
By October 2002, Niles was working on adapting ''30 Days of Night'' for the big screen, keeping the film true to the miniseries, though fleshing out the characters more significantly in the adaptation process.
[4] In February 2003,
Columbia Pictures partnered with Senator International to work on ''30 Days of Night'', which was developing under Senator International's newly-established production company, Ghost House Pictures.
Mike Richardson, the
Dark Horse Comics publisher who supported the adaptation project from the beginning, after having turned down an offer to initially publish the project, was attached as
executive producer.
[5] The following March, Richardson revealed that Steve Niles had turned in the initial draft for the ''30 Days of Night'' screenplay.
[6] In March 2004, however, Columbia Pictures requested that Niles's initial screenplay to be rewritten in preparation for production.
7 Sue Binder, the business manager of Ghost House Pictures, indicated that filming for ''30 Days of Night'' was still at least a year away, as Ghost House planned to produce three films before the vampire thriller.
[7] The following May,
Stuart Beattie, one of the writers for '', was rewriting Niles's ''30 Days of Night'' draft for production.
[8] Niles was pleased with Beattie's faithfully rewritten script, which was submitted to the studio in October 2004.
[9]
In September 2005, it was announced that director
David Slade had signed on to ''30 Days of Night'', which would be distributed by Columbia Pictures mainly in North America and Mandate Pictures in international territories.
[10] In March 2006, Slade revealed that screenwriter Brian Nelson, who wrote the screenplay for Slade's previous film ''
Hard Candy'', was writing a new draft of the ''30 Days of Night'' script, replacing Beattie's draft.
[11] The director said that filming would begin in summer 2006 in Alaska and
New Zealand.
11
In June 2006, it was announced that
Josh Hartnett was cast as the husband of the married couple that serves as the town's sheriff team.
[12] Melissa George joined the ''30 Days of Night'' cast as the wife of Hartnett's character.
[13] Danny Huston joined the cast as the leader of the vampires.
[14] Filming did not begin immediately, but in a September 2006 interview, executive producer Mike Richardson said that ''30 Days of Night'' would be shot on
35 mm film, though there had been discussion to shoot the film on
Genesis.
[15] In an interview prior to filming, Slade explained that the illustrations of the graphic novel's illustrator, Ben Templesmith, would be reflected in production design. Slade also considered Nelson's draft to be the most faithful to the graphic novel. He also stated his intention to make a "scary vampire film", of which he didn't think there were many. "The rest of them, they fall into all kinds of traps. We're going to try to do our best... and one of the ways we have to do it is be more naturalistic than the graphic novel, because it's very over-the-top," said Slade.
[16]
By February 2007, the production phase was completed, and a rough cut of the film was prepared.
[17] In April, composer
Brian Reitzell was hired to score the film.
[18]
References
1. Raimi Mulls ''30 Days''
2. 30 Days grabbed Raimi's Eye
3. Niles Looks Forward to At Least '30 Days' of Screen Time
4. Horror is October Month
5. Columbia Acquires ''30 Days of Night''
6. Dark Horse's Mike Richardson Talks Comic Book Movies
7. Bloodthirsty in Barrow
8. Steve Niles Talks Movies
9. ''30 Days'' Moves Forward
10. Slade has eyes for Col's 'Night'
11. David Slade on ''30 Days of Night''
12. Hartnett in Flight with Sony 'Night'
13. 30 Days of Night, Melissa George and Josh Hartnett
14. 'Night' dawns for Huston in Col horror pic
15. Exclusive Interview: Part II With Dark Horse's Mike Richardson
16. 'Candy' Director Prepares for '30 Days of Night'
17. NYCC, DAY 2: MYSPACE MYSTERY PANELISTS REVEALED!
18. Brian Reitzell: 30 Days of Night
External links
★
Official site and trailer
★
Production video journals at Ghost House Pictures
★
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