Before geek nation freaked out about Ben Affleck becoming Batman in Zack Snyder's upcoming film,
Batman Vs. Superman, there was an uproar when Tom Cruise ("Top Gun") was announced as Lestat in 1994's
Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles. Fans of Anne Rices's 1976 vampire novel, which the film is based on, were irate about Cruise playing Lestat. It didn't help that Rice herself publicly knocked the casting choice, saying, "I was particularly stunned by the casting of Cruise, who is no more my vampire Lestat than Edward G. Robinson is Rhett Butler." After seeing the film, Rice had a change of heart. She would go on to say, "From the moment he appeared Tom was Lestat for me. He has the immense physical and moral presence; he was defiant and yet never without conscience; the guy was great."
Before Tom Cruise won the role, John Malkovich, Peter Weller, Alexander Godunov and Brad Pitt (he played Louis) were considered for Lestat, and supposedly Johnny Depp and Jeremy Irons even turned down the part. What you may not know, is that Al Pacino ("Serpico") was interested in the role. Below, you will find a quote and concept art from Miles Teves. He was a conceptual illustrator working for Stan Winston Studio at the time.
"For a short time, at the beginning of the production, Al Pacino was rumored to have wanted the role of LeStat. I provided this image to help the studio make a decision. His presence as an actor , though an unusual choice, might have infused the character with more gravitas. Few command the screen like the indomitable Pacino." - Miles Teves
CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE
The undead are among us and livelier than ever when Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt and a talented group of young-bloods star in Interview with the Vampire, the spellbinding screen adaptation of Anne Rice's best seller that's "one the best films of the year" (Caryn James, The New York Times). Award-winning box-office favorite Cruise stylishly plays the supremely evil and charismatic vampire Lestat. Pitt is Louis, lured by Lestat into the immortality of the damned, then tormented by an unalterable fact of vampire life: to survive, he must kill. Stephen Rea, Antonio Banderas, Christian Slater and newcomer Kirsten Dunst also star. One lifetime alone offers plenty of opportunities for the savage revelries of the night. Imagine what an eternity can bring. Hypnotically directed by Neil Jordan (The Crying Game), Interview with the Vampire offers enough thrills, shocks and fiendish fun to last a lifetime...and beyond.
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