Vampire Academy – the movie! NYCC Preview

Lucy Fry and Zoey Deutch bring us the latest round of book vamps brought to life in Vampire Academy!

Richelle Mead’s uber popular Vampire Academy series is getting the movie treatment – but instead of lush Pacific Northwest dreamy, we will be treated to Buffy Meets Mean Girls!

At least that’s what I learned during the NYCC Vampire Academy panel this past month. Having never read the books, I wasn’t expecting the fun fabulous preview we got, or the very charming and upbeat cast on stage.

The story of a half vampire/half human, Rose – who is sworn to protect peaceful, mortal vampires from blood thirsty immortal ones – and her adventures in love, friendship and otherwise at a school for vamps has legions of fans. And they are anxious to see what sort of vision Mark Waters (director of Mean Girls and Heathers) and his brother David Waters (screenwriter) have in store!

After a quick intro from Richelle Mead herself (via video), fans were greeted by the panel: Mark Waters, David Waters, Zoey Deutch (Rose), Lissa Dragomir (Lucy), Dominic Sherwood (Christian), and Sami Gayle (Mia). They were all eager to share their impressions of the movie.

For her part as the kick butt bodyguard Rose, Zoey trained for three months previous to and then during filming, including fight and stunt training. She and Lucy drove home together after their chemistry testing and felt an instant connection – and that apparently was clear in their auditions, as they were quickly selected for the film. Since the movie hinges on the believability of their relationship, the “real” bond was a real find for the director.

Mark Waters had quite the task – he got to work with his brother David’s screenplay and had to tread the water of fan expectations. Vampire Academy devotees wanted to see their favorite series be brought to life with respect and an attention to detail, something David took very seriously. Mark – who previously directed some kick-butt girl-centric movies – loves working with a female protagonist. And as he’s gone through life “not maturing” he has found himself bored of male leads. This series featured a “full buffet” for screenwriter David – action, romance, humor. It was his favorite part of the entire experience.

Dominic Sherwood – one of the male leads – is excited to work on a film with such a big existing fanbase. And it doesn’t scare him at all! He’s excited to “please the people” who are already fans – and gain some new ones on the way.

A quick video trailer showed us exactly what the smart humor of the cast and crew translated into. Snarky dialogue, great action scenes, some sexy smoldering heroes and quirky heroines and a couple of bad guys who can hold their own? Wow. Bring it on!

Vampire Academy will hit theaters on Valentine’s Day, 2014.