Queen of the Damned (film)
Encyclopedia
Queen of the Damned is a 2002 film adaptation
of the third novel of Anne Rice
's The Vampire Chronicles
series, The Queen of the Damned
, although the film contains many plot elements from the latter novel's predecessor, The Vampire Lestat
. It stars Aaliyah
as the vampire queen Akasha, and Stuart Townsend
as the vampire
Lestat. Queen of the Damned was released six months after Aaliyah's death and is dedicated to her memory.
(Stuart Townsend
) is awakened from decades of slumber by the sound of a rock band, which he proceeds to take over as lead singer. Achieving international success and planning a massive live concert, Lestat is approached by Marius
(Vincent Perez
), and warned that the vampires of the world will not tolerate his flamboyant public profile.
Jesse Reeves
(Marguerite Moreau
), a researcher for the paranormal studies group Talamasca
, is intrigued by Lestat's lyrics and tells the rest of the group her theory that he really is a vampire. Her mentor takes her aside and tells her they know he is and that a vampire called Marius made him. He also shows her Lestat's journal that he recovered and is now in the Talamasca library. In a flashback
to his origins, Lestat recalls how he awoke Akasha (Aaliyah
), the first vampire, with his music. Jesse tracks him down to a London vampire club where he confronts her, and she follows him to Los Angeles for the concert, where she gives him his journal. Shortly after they leave London. Akasha, awakened by Lestat's new music, arrives and torches the club, and all the vampires inside, who want Lestat dead.
At the concert in Death Valley
, a mob of vampires attack Lestat and Marius. Akasha bursts through the stage and takes Lestat with her as her new King. Empowered by Akasha's blood, Lestat and the Queen confront the Ancient Vampires at the home of Maharet (Lena Olin
), Jesse's aunt, who is an Ancient Vampire herself. The Ancient Vampires were planning to kill Akasha, to save the human world from demise. Akasha then commands Lestat to kill Jesse. Lestat ostensibly obeys but then turns and begins to drain Akasha's blood with the help of the Ancients. Mael (Christian Manon
) and Pandora (Claudia Black
) are killed by Akasha's power, and Armand (Matthew Newton
) is almost killed, but is saved as her powers diminish. Maharet is the last to drink Akasha's blood, and thereby ends up becoming a marble 'statue'. Lestat then turns and walks to where Jesse is lying lifeless, and cradling her in his arms, gives her his blood, turning her into a vampire. Jesse, now a vampire, and Lestat then return the journal to the Talamasca, and walk away, among mortals, into the night. As they exit, Marius enters the Talamasca.
The film closes with a scene of David (Paul McGann
) reading the journal as Marius's voice catches his attention, cheerfully saying, "Hello David."
had acquired the film rights to several of Anne Rice
's novels — the first three Vampire Chronicles and The Mayfair Witches
trilogy — after a 1988 takeover of Lorimar Productions
. An eventual adaptation of Interview with the Vampire
(directed by Neil Jordan
and produced by David Geffen
) was released in 1994, although not without controversy, particularly over fan reaction to the casting of Tom Cruise
as Lestat, an objection initially shared by Anne Rice which she subsequently recanted after seeing the finished film
.
After the commercial and critical success of Interview, Neil Jordan began initial development of the novel's sequel, The Vampire Lestat, although this went nowhere.
As the rights to the novels would revert to Anne Rice at the end of 2000, initial story meetings to adapt one or both of the remaining Vampire Chronicles began in 1998. The decision was made early to substantially rewrite the plot, and to base most of the movie on the third book: The Vampire Lestat was considered too broad and episodic for a two-hour feature film, although the novel's setup of Lestat's awakening and career as a rock star was used. It was also decided to focus on Lestat as the primary character, and the back story of Akasha and the Story of the Twins
were omitted, despite these being virtually central to the plot of the novel.
Displeased with the lack of progress, and more particularly with the studio's lack of consultation with her over the script development, author Anne Rice wrote a critical reply to a fan's question about the film in 1998:
Over the course of 1999, the script was developed by TV screenwriter Scott Abbott
and Australian writer/director Michael Petroni
. Another Australian, Michael Rymer
, was confirmed to direct. Rymer suggested the film be shot in his home town of Melbourne
, which would save considerably on production costs.
The first actor cast was R&B singer Aaliyah
(who had made her film debut in Romeo Must Die
) as Akasha
, the eponymous Queen of the Damned. The search for an actor to play Lestat took much longer – the idea of Tom Cruise reprising the role was considered but dismissed – although front runners included Wes Bentley
, Josh Hartnett
and Heath Ledger
. Irish actor Stuart Townsend
assumed the role in 2000, and the final cast included Vincent Perez
as Marius, Paul McGann
as David Talbot, Lena Olin
as Maharet and Marguerite Moreau
as Jesse Reeves. Australian actors included Claudia Black
as Pandora and Matthew Newton
as Armand.
. Location filming took place around the city of Melbourne, although some filming was done in Los Angeles
. For the scenes of Lestat's concert in Death Valley
, over 3000 goths were recruited from Melbourne nightclubs and on the internet, then driven on a fleet of buses to a quarry in Werribee
to act as extras
.
of the band Korn
and Richard Gibbs
, although Davis's contractual commitments to Sony BMG meant that his vocals could not appear on the soundtrack album. Instead, the vocals were re-recorded by other musicians for the soundtrack release: Wayne Static
of Static-X
("Not Meant for Me"), David Draiman
of Disturbed ("Forsaken"), Chester Bennington
of Linkin Park
("System"), Marilyn Manson
("Redeemer"), and Jay Gordon
of Orgy
("Slept So Long"). During the end credits "Not Meant For Me" is played. It is Jonathan Davis' version although the credits credit it as the Wayne Static version from the album.
Davis also made a small cameo in the film; when Jesse arrives in Los Angeles, a scalper (Jonathan Davis) attempts to sell her tickets to Lestat’s show.
The soundtrack also contains other songs featured in the film: "Body Crumbles" by Dry Cell, "Cold" by Static-X
, "Dead Cell" by Papa Roach
, "Excess" by Tricky
, "Headstrong" by Earshot
, "Penetrate" by Godhead
, "Down With the Sickness
" by Disturbed, "Change (In the House of Flies)
" by Deftones
and "Before I'm Dead" by Kidneythieves.
The score for the film was also composed by Gibbs and Davis. Both the rock soundtrack and score were released as albums in 2002.
Frank Fitzpatrick
and Rich Dickerson
were the Music Supervisors for the film and the soundtrack album.
The original studio recording of "Careless" was written and produced by Davis and Gibbs during the Queen of the Damned sessions, all vocals by Davis, keyboards by Gibbs, guitars by Munky, Head, and Davis, drums by Vinnie Colaiuta
, percussion by Paulinho da Costa
.
had mellowed her previous stance on the film, much as she had with Interview. When asked about the film's progress, she answered:
By late 2001, Rice had seen the completed film and was sufficiently satisfied to allow her name to be used on promotional materials, although she later became disillusioned about it and dismissed the film in 2003, stating that a television series format would be more suited to her work.
On her Facebook
page, any time the subject is brought up, she repeatedly comments that The Queen of the Damned film is not something she can understand or embrace, that she encouraged them not to do the film and that it hurt her to see her work mutilated the way it did.
and Canada
.
The film received mixed to negative reviews from film critics, with several reviewers such as Roger Ebert
describing it as "goofy" or "damned". The film has a rank of 17%, certified "Rotten" at Rottentomatoes.com. Despite bad reviews, Queen of the Damned nonetheless topped the box office in the weeks following its release. The film was a Box Office success grossing $45.5 million on a $35 million budget.
in Scotland
murdered one of his friends, ate part of his brain
and drank his blood
. He claimed in court that it was Aaliyah's character "Queen Akasha" from the film that told him to do it.
Film adaptation
Film adaptation is the transfer of a written work to a feature film. It is a type of derivative work.A common form of film adaptation is the use of a novel as the basis of a feature film, but film adaptation includes the use of non-fiction , autobiography, comic book, scripture, plays, and even...
of the third novel of Anne Rice
Anne Rice
Anne Rice is a best-selling Southern American author of metaphysical gothic fiction, Christian literature and erotica from New Orleans, Louisiana. Her books have sold nearly 100 million copies, making her one of the most widely read authors in modern history...
's The Vampire Chronicles
The Vampire Chronicles
The Vampire Chronicles is a series of novels by Anne Rice that revolves around the fictional character Lestat de Lioncourt, a French nobleman turned into a vampire in the 18th century....
series, The Queen of the Damned
The Queen of the Damned
The Queen of the Damned is the third novel of Anne Rice's The Vampire Chronicles series. It follows Interview with the Vampire and The Vampire Lestat...
, although the film contains many plot elements from the latter novel's predecessor, The Vampire Lestat
The Vampire Lestat
The Vampire Lestat is a novel by Anne Rice, and the second in her Vampire Chronicles, following Interview with the Vampire. Many events in the two books appear to contradict each other...
. It stars Aaliyah
Aaliyah
Aaliyah Dana Haughton , who performed under the mononym Aaliyah , was an American R&B recording artist, actress and model. She was born in Brooklyn, New York, and was raised in Detroit, Michigan. At the age of 10, she appeared on the television show Star Search and performed in concert alongside...
as the vampire queen Akasha, and Stuart Townsend
Stuart Townsend
Stuart Townsend is an Irish actor and director. His most notable portrayals are of the characters Lestat de Lioncourt in the 2002 film adaptation of Anne Rice's Queen of the Damned, and Dorian Gray in the 2003 film adaptation of Alan Moore's The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.-Early life and...
as the vampire
Vampire
Vampires are mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person...
Lestat. Queen of the Damned was released six months after Aaliyah's death and is dedicated to her memory.
Plot
Vampire LestatLestat de Lioncourt
Lestat de Lioncourt is a fictional character appearing in several novels by Anne Rice, including The Vampire Lestat. He is a vampire and the main character in the majority of The Vampire Chronicles, narrated in first person.-Publication history:...
(Stuart Townsend
Stuart Townsend
Stuart Townsend is an Irish actor and director. His most notable portrayals are of the characters Lestat de Lioncourt in the 2002 film adaptation of Anne Rice's Queen of the Damned, and Dorian Gray in the 2003 film adaptation of Alan Moore's The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.-Early life and...
) is awakened from decades of slumber by the sound of a rock band, which he proceeds to take over as lead singer. Achieving international success and planning a massive live concert, Lestat is approached by Marius
Marius de Romanus
Marius de Romanus is a fictional character in The Vampire Chronicles novels written by Anne Rice. He is the primary character in the novel Blood and Gold.- Fictional biography :...
(Vincent Perez
Vincent Pérez
Vincent Pérez is a Swiss-born French speaking actor and director. He is best known internationally for playing the title character Ashe Corven in The Crow: City of Angels, and for starring in Queen of the Damned, playing Marius de Romanus...
), and warned that the vampires of the world will not tolerate his flamboyant public profile.
Jesse Reeves
Jessica Miriam Reeves
Jessica "Jesse" Miriam Reeves is a fictional character in the Vampire Chronicles universe created by Anne Rice.-Character Background and Biography:Jesse is a descendant of Maharet, and a member of the Great Family...
(Marguerite Moreau
Marguerite Moreau
Marguerite Moreau is an American actress. She is perhaps best known for her roles on the television series Blossom, her role as Katie in the comedy cult film Wet Hot American Summer, and her role in The Mighty Ducks series of films...
), a researcher for the paranormal studies group Talamasca
Talamasca Caste
The Talamasca Caste is a fictional secret society described in the works of Anne Rice.- Background :The Talamasca Caste is described as a secret society set up to watch over and keep track of the paranormal, in particular, witches, spirits, werewolves and vampires...
, is intrigued by Lestat's lyrics and tells the rest of the group her theory that he really is a vampire. Her mentor takes her aside and tells her they know he is and that a vampire called Marius made him. He also shows her Lestat's journal that he recovered and is now in the Talamasca library. In a flashback
Flashback (narrative)
Flashback is an interjected scene that takes the narrative back in time from the current point the story has reached. Flashbacks are often used to recount events that happened before the story’s primary sequence of events or to fill in crucial backstory...
to his origins, Lestat recalls how he awoke Akasha (Aaliyah
Aaliyah
Aaliyah Dana Haughton , who performed under the mononym Aaliyah , was an American R&B recording artist, actress and model. She was born in Brooklyn, New York, and was raised in Detroit, Michigan. At the age of 10, she appeared on the television show Star Search and performed in concert alongside...
), the first vampire, with his music. Jesse tracks him down to a London vampire club where he confronts her, and she follows him to Los Angeles for the concert, where she gives him his journal. Shortly after they leave London. Akasha, awakened by Lestat's new music, arrives and torches the club, and all the vampires inside, who want Lestat dead.
At the concert in Death Valley
Death Valley
Death Valley is a desert valley located in Eastern California. Situated within the Mojave Desert, it features the lowest, driest, and hottest locations in North America. Badwater, a basin located in Death Valley, is the specific location of the lowest elevation in North America at 282 feet below...
, a mob of vampires attack Lestat and Marius. Akasha bursts through the stage and takes Lestat with her as her new King. Empowered by Akasha's blood, Lestat and the Queen confront the Ancient Vampires at the home of Maharet (Lena Olin
Lena Olin
Lena Maria Jonna Olin is a Swedish actress.-Early life:Olin was born the youngest of three children, in Stockholm, Sweden. She is the daughter of actress Britta Holmberg and the director Stig Olin...
), Jesse's aunt, who is an Ancient Vampire herself. The Ancient Vampires were planning to kill Akasha, to save the human world from demise. Akasha then commands Lestat to kill Jesse. Lestat ostensibly obeys but then turns and begins to drain Akasha's blood with the help of the Ancients. Mael (Christian Manon
Christian Manon
Christian Manon, born 5 January 1950, is a French-Australian actor based in Sydney, best known for his work in theatre. His most notable film role was Mael in the film adaptation of the Anne Rice novel, Queen of the Damned.-Credits:...
) and Pandora (Claudia Black
Claudia Black
Claudia Lee Black is an Australian actress and voice actor, known for her portrayals of Aeryn Sun in the science fiction television series Farscape, Vala Mal Doran in the science fiction series Stargate SG-1, Chloe Frazer in the Uncharted series, the witch Morrigan in Dragon Age: Origins and...
) are killed by Akasha's power, and Armand (Matthew Newton
Matthew Newton
Matthew Newton is an Australian stage and screen actor. Born in Melbourne, he is the son of television personalities, Bert and Patti Newton, brother of Lauren Newton, brother-in-law of Matt Welsh and uncle to Sam Albert and Eva Eunice Newton Welsh.-Acting:Newton has performed in Australia and...
) is almost killed, but is saved as her powers diminish. Maharet is the last to drink Akasha's blood, and thereby ends up becoming a marble 'statue'. Lestat then turns and walks to where Jesse is lying lifeless, and cradling her in his arms, gives her his blood, turning her into a vampire. Jesse, now a vampire, and Lestat then return the journal to the Talamasca, and walk away, among mortals, into the night. As they exit, Marius enters the Talamasca.
The film closes with a scene of David (Paul McGann
Paul McGann
Paul McGann is an English actor who made his name on the BBC serial The Monocled Mutineer, in which he played the lead role...
) reading the journal as Marius's voice catches his attention, cheerfully saying, "Hello David."
Cast
- AaliyahAaliyahAaliyah Dana Haughton , who performed under the mononym Aaliyah , was an American R&B recording artist, actress and model. She was born in Brooklyn, New York, and was raised in Detroit, Michigan. At the age of 10, she appeared on the television show Star Search and performed in concert alongside...
as Queen Akasha - Stuart TownsendStuart TownsendStuart Townsend is an Irish actor and director. His most notable portrayals are of the characters Lestat de Lioncourt in the 2002 film adaptation of Anne Rice's Queen of the Damned, and Dorian Gray in the 2003 film adaptation of Alan Moore's The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.-Early life and...
as Lestat de LioncourtLestat de LioncourtLestat de Lioncourt is a fictional character appearing in several novels by Anne Rice, including The Vampire Lestat. He is a vampire and the main character in the majority of The Vampire Chronicles, narrated in first person.-Publication history:... - Marguerite MoreauMarguerite MoreauMarguerite Moreau is an American actress. She is perhaps best known for her roles on the television series Blossom, her role as Katie in the comedy cult film Wet Hot American Summer, and her role in The Mighty Ducks series of films...
as Jesse ReevesJessica Miriam ReevesJessica "Jesse" Miriam Reeves is a fictional character in the Vampire Chronicles universe created by Anne Rice.-Character Background and Biography:Jesse is a descendant of Maharet, and a member of the Great Family...
- Richael Tanner as young Jesse
- Vincent PerezVincent PérezVincent Pérez is a Swiss-born French speaking actor and director. He is best known internationally for playing the title character Ashe Corven in The Crow: City of Angels, and for starring in Queen of the Damned, playing Marius de Romanus...
as Marius de RomanusMarius de RomanusMarius de Romanus is a fictional character in The Vampire Chronicles novels written by Anne Rice. He is the primary character in the novel Blood and Gold.- Fictional biography :... - Paul McGannPaul McGannPaul McGann is an English actor who made his name on the BBC serial The Monocled Mutineer, in which he played the lead role...
as David Talbot - Lena OlinLena OlinLena Maria Jonna Olin is a Swedish actress.-Early life:Olin was born the youngest of three children, in Stockholm, Sweden. She is the daughter of actress Britta Holmberg and the director Stig Olin...
as MaharetMaharet and MekareMaharet and Mekare are two characters from Anne Rice's The Vampire Chronicles.- Story as told in The Queen of the Damned :Maharet and Mekare were twin sisters and powerful witches living in a beautiful valley not far from Egypt six thousand years ago. They had curly red hair and green eyes. They... - Christian ManonChristian ManonChristian Manon, born 5 January 1950, is a French-Australian actor based in Sydney, best known for his work in theatre. His most notable film role was Mael in the film adaptation of the Anne Rice novel, Queen of the Damned.-Credits:...
as Mael - Claudia BlackClaudia BlackClaudia Lee Black is an Australian actress and voice actor, known for her portrayals of Aeryn Sun in the science fiction television series Farscape, Vala Mal Doran in the science fiction series Stargate SG-1, Chloe Frazer in the Uncharted series, the witch Morrigan in Dragon Age: Origins and...
as PandoraPandora (novel)Pandora is a novel and a vampire in Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles. Her story is told in the book Pandora, one of two novels in the New Tales of the Vampires series.-Plot summary:... - Bruce SpenceBruce SpenceBruce Spence, born September 17, 1945 is an actor, having spent most of his career performing in Australia. Bruce attended Henderson High School in West Auckland....
as KhaymanKhaymanKhayman is a fictional character in The Vampire Chronicles universe created by Anne Rice. One of the oldest vampires at nearly six thousand years old, he appears in very few of the books in the series, but is nevertheless considered a powerful force among their number... - Matthew NewtonMatthew NewtonMatthew Newton is an Australian stage and screen actor. Born in Melbourne, he is the son of television personalities, Bert and Patti Newton, brother of Lauren Newton, brother-in-law of Matt Welsh and uncle to Sam Albert and Eva Eunice Newton Welsh.-Acting:Newton has performed in Australia and...
as Armand - Tiriel MoraTiriel MoraTiriel Mora is an Australian television and film actor. He is the son of Melbourne artist Mirka Mora and Georges Mora , German-born Australian entrepreneur, art dealer, patron, connoisseur and restaurateur....
as Roger - Megan Dorman as Maudy
- Johnathan DevoyJerk (band)Jerk was an industrial metal band from Sydney, Australia. They released a single album, and featured in the video games Need for Speed: Underground and NHL 2004...
as James - Robert Farnham as Alex
- Conrad Standish as T.C.
- Andrew L. Urban as Himself
- Jonathan DavisJonathan DavisJonathan Houseman Davis is the lead vocalist and frontman for the nu metal band Korn. Davis was ranked 16th on Hit Parader 's list of "Heavy Metal's All-Time Top 100 Vocalists".-Early life:...
as Ticket scalper
Development
Warner Bros.Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
had acquired the film rights to several of Anne Rice
Anne Rice
Anne Rice is a best-selling Southern American author of metaphysical gothic fiction, Christian literature and erotica from New Orleans, Louisiana. Her books have sold nearly 100 million copies, making her one of the most widely read authors in modern history...
's novels — the first three Vampire Chronicles and The Mayfair Witches
The Mayfair Witches
The Lives of the Mayfair Witches is a series of novels written by the horror author Anne Rice. They feature the Mayfairs, a New Orleans family of witches and their connection to a spirit named Lasher, spanning several generations...
trilogy — after a 1988 takeover of Lorimar Productions
Lorimar Productions
Lorimar, later known as Lorimar Television and Lorimar Distribution, was an American television production company that was later a subsidiary of Warner Bros., active from 1969 until 1993...
. An eventual adaptation of Interview with the Vampire
Interview with the Vampire
Interview with the Vampire is a vampire novel by Anne Rice written in 1973 and published in 1976. It was the first novel to feature the enigmatic vampire Lestat, and was followed by several sequels, collectively known as The Vampire Chronicles...
(directed by Neil Jordan
Neil Jordan
Neil Patrick Jordan is an Irish filmmaker and novelist. He won an Academy Award for The Crying Game.- Early life :...
and produced by David Geffen
David Geffen
David Geffen is an American record executive, film producer, theatrical producer and philanthropist. Geffen is noted for creating Asylum Records in 1970, Geffen Records in 1980, and DGC Records in 1990...
) was released in 1994, although not without controversy, particularly over fan reaction to the casting of Tom Cruise
Tom Cruise
Thomas Cruise Mapother IV , better known as Tom Cruise, is an American film actor and producer. He has been nominated for three Academy Awards and he has won three Golden Globe Awards....
as Lestat, an objection initially shared by Anne Rice which she subsequently recanted after seeing the finished film
Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles
Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles is a 1994 American drama and horror film directed by Neil Jordan, based on the 1976 novel Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice. The film focuses on Lestat and Louis, beginning with Louis' transformation into a vampire by Lestat in 1791...
.
After the commercial and critical success of Interview, Neil Jordan began initial development of the novel's sequel, The Vampire Lestat, although this went nowhere.
As the rights to the novels would revert to Anne Rice at the end of 2000, initial story meetings to adapt one or both of the remaining Vampire Chronicles began in 1998. The decision was made early to substantially rewrite the plot, and to base most of the movie on the third book: The Vampire Lestat was considered too broad and episodic for a two-hour feature film, although the novel's setup of Lestat's awakening and career as a rock star was used. It was also decided to focus on Lestat as the primary character, and the back story of Akasha and the Story of the Twins
Maharet and Mekare
Maharet and Mekare are two characters from Anne Rice's The Vampire Chronicles.- Story as told in The Queen of the Damned :Maharet and Mekare were twin sisters and powerful witches living in a beautiful valley not far from Egypt six thousand years ago. They had curly red hair and green eyes. They...
were omitted, despite these being virtually central to the plot of the novel.
Displeased with the lack of progress, and more particularly with the studio's lack of consultation with her over the script development, author Anne Rice wrote a critical reply to a fan's question about the film in 1998:
"The key factor is that the entire vampire contract terminates in the year 2000. All the properties revert back to me at that time, unless production commences-principal photography that is-before then. I don't think it is possible for Warner Bros. to develop anything in that amount of time."
"They have not been receptive to me or to my ideas at all."
"Not very long ago, less than a year ago in fact, I begged the executives there to let me write a script for THE VAMPIRE LESTAT for union scale (the Writers Guild won't let you write it for free) and a deferred payment not due until release of the picture. They simply weren't interested. It was very painful for me, as I had been talking to a new director they'd hired and we were both excited about the idea.
"I felt snubbed and hurt and have not bothered to approach them since. The young director is supposed to be developing THE QUEEN OF THE DAMNED which I think is a bad idea, and basically a doomed project.
"In spite of their showing no interest in me as the screen writer, they have not been able to find one themselves for this bizarre idea of THE QUEEN OF THE DAMNED. I'm not too surprised. I think any respectable script writer would be crazy to tackle that novel without having fully developed the background story of Lestat. Anyway, that is where it is."
Over the course of 1999, the script was developed by TV screenwriter Scott Abbott
Scott Abbott
Charles Scott Abbott is the co-inventor of Trivial Pursuit along with Chris Haney.Known as "Scott," he was the owner of the Brampton Battalion hockey team, of the Ontario Hockey League...
and Australian writer/director Michael Petroni
Michael Petroni
Michael Petroni is an Australian film writer and director.Petroni worked in the early 1990s as a comedy writer and performer on Australian television, and appeared as "Psycho Bob", an American serial killer character, in The Big Gig and DAAS Kapital .In 1994, he moved to Los Angeles to study...
. Another Australian, Michael Rymer
Michael Rymer
Michael Rymer is a television and film director, best known for his work on the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica TV series, for which he directed the pilot miniseries and several episodes of the series...
, was confirmed to direct. Rymer suggested the film be shot in his home town of Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, which would save considerably on production costs.
The first actor cast was R&B singer Aaliyah
Aaliyah
Aaliyah Dana Haughton , who performed under the mononym Aaliyah , was an American R&B recording artist, actress and model. She was born in Brooklyn, New York, and was raised in Detroit, Michigan. At the age of 10, she appeared on the television show Star Search and performed in concert alongside...
(who had made her film debut in Romeo Must Die
Romeo Must Die
Romeo Must Die is a 2000 martial arts film directed by Andrzej Bartkowiak. Starring Jet Li, Aaliyah, Anthony Anderson, Delroy Lindo, Isaiah Washington, Russell Wong, and features action and fight choreography by Corey Yuen...
) as Akasha
Akasha
Akasha is the Sanskrit word meaning "aether" in both its elemental and metaphysical senses.-Hinduism:...
, the eponymous Queen of the Damned. The search for an actor to play Lestat took much longer – the idea of Tom Cruise reprising the role was considered but dismissed – although front runners included Wes Bentley
Wes Bentley
Wesley Cook "Wes" Bentley is an American film actor known for his role of Ricky Fitts in American Beauty.-Early life:Bentley was born in Jonesboro, Arkansas, the son of Cherie and David Bentley, who are United Methodist ministers....
, Josh Hartnett
Josh Hartnett
Joshua Daniel "Josh" Hartnett is an American actor and aspiring producer. He first came to audiences' attention in 1997 as "Michael Fitzgerald" in the television series Cracker. He made his feature film debut in 1998, co-starring with Jamie Lee Curtis in Halloween H20: 20 Years Later for Miramax...
and Heath Ledger
Heath Ledger
Heath Andrew Ledger was an Australian television and film actor. After performing roles in Australian television and film during the 1990s, Ledger moved to the United States in 1998 to develop his film career...
. Irish actor Stuart Townsend
Stuart Townsend
Stuart Townsend is an Irish actor and director. His most notable portrayals are of the characters Lestat de Lioncourt in the 2002 film adaptation of Anne Rice's Queen of the Damned, and Dorian Gray in the 2003 film adaptation of Alan Moore's The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.-Early life and...
assumed the role in 2000, and the final cast included Vincent Perez
Vincent Pérez
Vincent Pérez is a Swiss-born French speaking actor and director. He is best known internationally for playing the title character Ashe Corven in The Crow: City of Angels, and for starring in Queen of the Damned, playing Marius de Romanus...
as Marius, Paul McGann
Paul McGann
Paul McGann is an English actor who made his name on the BBC serial The Monocled Mutineer, in which he played the lead role...
as David Talbot, Lena Olin
Lena Olin
Lena Maria Jonna Olin is a Swedish actress.-Early life:Olin was born the youngest of three children, in Stockholm, Sweden. She is the daughter of actress Britta Holmberg and the director Stig Olin...
as Maharet and Marguerite Moreau
Marguerite Moreau
Marguerite Moreau is an American actress. She is perhaps best known for her roles on the television series Blossom, her role as Katie in the comedy cult film Wet Hot American Summer, and her role in The Mighty Ducks series of films...
as Jesse Reeves. Australian actors included Claudia Black
Claudia Black
Claudia Lee Black is an Australian actress and voice actor, known for her portrayals of Aeryn Sun in the science fiction television series Farscape, Vala Mal Doran in the science fiction series Stargate SG-1, Chloe Frazer in the Uncharted series, the witch Morrigan in Dragon Age: Origins and...
as Pandora and Matthew Newton
Matthew Newton
Matthew Newton is an Australian stage and screen actor. Born in Melbourne, he is the son of television personalities, Bert and Patti Newton, brother of Lauren Newton, brother-in-law of Matt Welsh and uncle to Sam Albert and Eva Eunice Newton Welsh.-Acting:Newton has performed in Australia and...
as Armand.
Production
With a large cast of international and Australian actors, Queen of the Damned began principal photography on October 2, 2000 in a former biscuit factory converted into a studio in the Melbourne suburb of St. AlbansSt. Albans, Victoria
St Albans is a suburb 15 km north-west of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Its Local Government Area is the City of Brimbank. At the 2006 Census, St Albans had a population of 33,511....
. Location filming took place around the city of Melbourne, although some filming was done in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. For the scenes of Lestat's concert in Death Valley
Death Valley
Death Valley is a desert valley located in Eastern California. Situated within the Mojave Desert, it features the lowest, driest, and hottest locations in North America. Badwater, a basin located in Death Valley, is the specific location of the lowest elevation in North America at 282 feet below...
, over 3000 goths were recruited from Melbourne nightclubs and on the internet, then driven on a fleet of buses to a quarry in Werribee
Werribee, Victoria
Werribee is a city in Melbourne, Australia, 32 km south-west from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Wyndham. At the 2006 Census, Werribee had a population of 36,641. Statistically, Werribee is considered part of Greater Melbourne.Werribee is...
to act as extras
Extra (actor)
A background actor or extra is a performer in a film, television show, stage, musical, opera or ballet production, who appears in a nonspeaking, nonsinging or nondancing capacity, usually in the background...
.
Soundtracks
The songs for Lestat's band were written and performed by Jonathan DavisJonathan Davis
Jonathan Houseman Davis is the lead vocalist and frontman for the nu metal band Korn. Davis was ranked 16th on Hit Parader 's list of "Heavy Metal's All-Time Top 100 Vocalists".-Early life:...
of the band Korn
Korn
Korn is an American nu metal band from Bakersfield, California, formed in 1993. The current band line up includes four members: Jonathan Davis, James "Munky" Shaffer, Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu, and Ray Luzier. The band was formed as an expansion of L.A.P.D.The band released their first demo album,...
and Richard Gibbs
Richard Gibbs
Richard “Ribbs” Gibbs is an American film composer and music producer whose credits include the films Sweet Hearts Dance, Dr...
, although Davis's contractual commitments to Sony BMG meant that his vocals could not appear on the soundtrack album. Instead, the vocals were re-recorded by other musicians for the soundtrack release: Wayne Static
Wayne Static
Wayne Static is an American musician, and the lead vocalist, guitarist, keyboardist, and programmer for the industrial metal band Static-X. He released his first solo studio album Pighammer on October 4, 2011.- Early life :Static grew up in Shelby, Michigan before moving to Chicago and eventually...
of Static-X
Static-X
Static-X is an American industrial metal band from Los Angeles, California. They were formed in 1994. They are signed to Warner Bros. Records and have released six albums, their most recent being Cult of Static, which was released on March 17, 2009....
("Not Meant for Me"), David Draiman
David Draiman
David Michael Draiman is an American songwriter and the lead singer for the metal band Disturbed. Draiman is known for his distorted voice and rhythmic singing style...
of Disturbed ("Forsaken"), Chester Bennington
Chester Bennington
Chester Charles Bennington is an American musician, singer-songwriter and actor. He is best known as the lead vocalist and songwriter of the rock band Linkin Park....
of Linkin Park
Linkin Park
Linkin Park is an American rock band from Agoura Hills, California. Formed in 1996, the band rose to international fame with their debut album, Hybrid Theory, which was certified Diamond by the RIAA in 2005 and multi-platinum in several other countries...
("System"), Marilyn Manson
Marilyn Manson
Marilyn Manson may refer to:* Marilyn Manson , an American rock musician* Marilyn Manson , the American rock band led by the singer of the same name...
("Redeemer"), and Jay Gordon
Jay Gordon
Jay Paul Gordon is a producer, journalist and lead singer of rock alternative band Orgy- Early life :Originally from the Excelsior District of San Francisco, California, Gordon is the vocalist in the synth-industrial band Orgy, which rose to prominence through their signing to Korn's fledgling...
of Orgy
Orgy (band)
Orgy is an American synth rock band formed in 1996, from Los Angeles, California. Orgy described their music as "death pop".-History:Orgy was formed in 1996 by vocalist Jay Gordon and guitarist Ryan Shuck. Bassist Paige Haley, guitarist Amir Derakh, and drummer Bobby Hewitt soon completed the line-up...
("Slept So Long"). During the end credits "Not Meant For Me" is played. It is Jonathan Davis' version although the credits credit it as the Wayne Static version from the album.
Davis also made a small cameo in the film; when Jesse arrives in Los Angeles, a scalper (Jonathan Davis) attempts to sell her tickets to Lestat’s show.
The soundtrack also contains other songs featured in the film: "Body Crumbles" by Dry Cell, "Cold" by Static-X
Static-X
Static-X is an American industrial metal band from Los Angeles, California. They were formed in 1994. They are signed to Warner Bros. Records and have released six albums, their most recent being Cult of Static, which was released on March 17, 2009....
, "Dead Cell" by Papa Roach
Papa Roach
Papa Roach is an American rock band from Vacaville, California. Their first major-label release was the triple-platinum album Infest . The group's success continued with their gold album Lovehatetragedy , their platinum album Getting Away with Murder , The Paramour Sessions , and Metamorphosis...
, "Excess" by Tricky
Tricky
Tricky is an English musician and actor. As a producer and a musician, he is noted for a dark, rich and layered sound and a whispering sprechgesang lyrical style. Culturally, Tricky encourages an intertwining of societies, particularly in his musical fusion of rock and hip hop, high art and pop...
, "Headstrong" by Earshot
Earshot
Earshot is a hard rock/alternative metal band from Los Angeles, California. The band has released three albums: Letting Go, Two, and most recently, The Silver Lining on August 26, 2008.-Formation and Letting Go:...
, "Penetrate" by Godhead
Godhead (band)
Godhead, occasionally typeset as gODHEAD, is an American alternative rock/metal band from Washington, D.C.. They are most often credited with being the only band signed to musician Marilyn Manson's short-lived vanity label, Posthuman Records.-History:...
, "Down With the Sickness
Down with the Sickness
"Down with the Sickness" is a song by American heavy metal band Disturbed. The song was recorded in 1999 and was released as the second single from their debut studio album, The Sickness. The song is one of Disturbed's best-known songs and is a concert staple, usually played as the last song...
" by Disturbed, "Change (In the House of Flies)
Change (In the House of Flies)
-Cultural references:*The song was used in the movies Queen of the Damned, Little Nicky and Cooler's Revenge.*It was also used in the episode "Hourglass" of the television show Alias and in the pilot episode of the short lived television show Wolf Lake.*An acoustic version appears on the MTV The...
" by Deftones
Deftones
Deftones are an American alternative metal band from Sacramento, California, founded in 1988. The band consists of Chino Moreno , Stephen Carpenter , Chi Cheng , Frank Delgado , and Abe Cunningham . Currently Sergio Vega is standing in on bass while Cheng recovers from a car accident...
and "Before I'm Dead" by Kidneythieves.
The score for the film was also composed by Gibbs and Davis. Both the rock soundtrack and score were released as albums in 2002.
Frank Fitzpatrick
Frank Fitzpatrick
Frank Fitzpatrick is best known as a composer and music producer for film. He has also worked extensively in other areas of music and entertainment as a record producer, songwriter, and filmmaker...
and Rich Dickerson
Rich Dickerson
Rich Dickerson is a talk radio host for WZZR 94.3 FM in South Florida and presenter of the show The Love Doctors. In 1975, while program director at WVTS, Rich is attributed with inadvertently inciting fans of the band Kiss to start the official Kiss fan club, the Kiss Army.By July 1975, WVTS had...
were the Music Supervisors for the film and the soundtrack album.
The original studio recording of "Careless" was written and produced by Davis and Gibbs during the Queen of the Damned sessions, all vocals by Davis, keyboards by Gibbs, guitars by Munky, Head, and Davis, drums by Vinnie Colaiuta
Vinnie Colaiuta
Vincent Colaiuta is an American drummer based in Los Angeles. Originally from Republic, Pennsylvania, he began playing drums as a child and received his first full drum kit from his parents at the age of 14...
, percussion by Paulinho da Costa
Paulinho Da Costa
Paulinho da Costa is a Brazilian percussionist born in Rio de Janeiro, considered one of the most recorded musicians of modern times. Playing over two hundred percussion instruments, he has participated in thousands of recording sessions, Grammy Award-winning albums, hit songs, soundtracks, radio...
.
Author's reaction
By July 2001, author Anne RiceAnne Rice
Anne Rice is a best-selling Southern American author of metaphysical gothic fiction, Christian literature and erotica from New Orleans, Louisiana. Her books have sold nearly 100 million copies, making her one of the most widely read authors in modern history...
had mellowed her previous stance on the film, much as she had with Interview. When asked about the film's progress, she answered:
"Everything I hear about the movie is good. Warner Bros. is extremely enthusiastic. They are working very hard to make it perfect. I have no real news. Let me repeat what I mentioned in a recent message. I met Stuart Townsend, the young man who is playing Lestat and he was absolutely charming. He had Lestat's excellent speaking voice and his feline grace. I cannot wait to see him in the film."
By late 2001, Rice had seen the completed film and was sufficiently satisfied to allow her name to be used on promotional materials, although she later became disillusioned about it and dismissed the film in 2003, stating that a television series format would be more suited to her work.
On her Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
page, any time the subject is brought up, she repeatedly comments that The Queen of the Damned film is not something she can understand or embrace, that she encouraged them not to do the film and that it hurt her to see her work mutilated the way it did.
Public and critical reaction
Queen of the Damned was released on February 22, 2002 in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
The film received mixed to negative reviews from film critics, with several reviewers such as Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
describing it as "goofy" or "damned". The film has a rank of 17%, certified "Rotten" at Rottentomatoes.com. Despite bad reviews, Queen of the Damned nonetheless topped the box office in the weeks following its release. The film was a Box Office success grossing $45.5 million on a $35 million budget.
Allan Menzies
In December 2002, Allan Menzies from West LothianWest Lothian
West Lothian is one of the 32 unitary council areas in Scotland, and a Lieutenancy area. It borders the City of Edinburgh, Falkirk, North Lanarkshire, the Scottish Borders and South Lanarkshire....
in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
murdered one of his friends, ate part of his brain
Brain
The brain is the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals—only a few primitive invertebrates such as sponges, jellyfish, sea squirts and starfishes do not have one. It is located in the head, usually close to primary sensory apparatus such as vision, hearing,...
and drank his blood
Blood
Blood is a specialized bodily fluid in animals that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells....
. He claimed in court that it was Aaliyah's character "Queen Akasha" from the film that told him to do it.