Vampire Academy Series
Film Review: Vampire Academy is “Sweet, Sassy, Molassy”
Vampire Academy finally released in India yesterday, and after five years of waiting, I spent my V(A)-Day with Dimitri and Christian on the big screen. The film adaptation, based on the first book of Richelle Mead’s series, released last week in North America to some harsh critical reviews and a poor box office. This in turn made me anxious to see the film and I was starting to feel sure it would disappoint me. Guess what fangirls and boys? It did not. We’ve covered the release of the film these past few months and now we are going to discuss the film, without (any major) spoilers so that all of you can go watch and enjoy it.
For the uninitiated, the story is about Rose Hathaway, a half-human, half-vampire Dhampir girl who is best friends with Lissa Dragomir, a Moroi vampire princess and must save her not only from the threats of the undead Strigoi that lurk in the shadows but also the threats that lurk within the halls of their school, St. Vladimir’s Academy.
The Cast
The most wonderful thing about this film has to be the performances from the cast. When the casting was announced last year, there was a huge uproar in the “Vampire Academy” fandom with many fans turning their backs on the film (some still don’t accept the casting). This is rather unfortunate, because the cast captures the characters so well and as the author, Richelle Mead, has stated on numerous occasions, the actors GET their characters.
Zoey Deutch owns Rose Hathaway and no one can be Rose anymore in my head. When she’s onscreen, you forget all about Zoey from her interviews because she’s gone and in her place, stands Rose – fun loving, fast talking, flawed Rose Hathaway.
Lucy Fry as Lissa really surprised me. I was still unsure about her from the clips but she brought Lissa to life as a soul that is at first kind and gentle and later all buzzed up and peppy.
Danila Kozlovsky … what can I say about this Russian man except that he lit up the screen as Dimitri Belikov with his scenes, whether it was the badass training sequences or the badass fighting sequences or the scenes with his smile that basically could melt all of Frozen’s Arrendale. I could basically listen to a tape with him saying the words “Roza, Roza” continuously.
Now Dominic Sherwood basically IS Christian Ozera. There is no denying it and there is no fighting it. He IS Christian Ozera with all his creepy talk at first and then that sadness in his eyes when he talks about his Strigoi parents and then his longing for Lissa and then BAM the next thing you know is that you are all head over heels in love with Christian who would do anything to protect Lissa.
The supporting characters did a great job with their scenes. Sarah Hyland was absolutely brilliant as the rambling Natalie and Cameron Monaghan, in his limited scenes, brought to life the love struck Mason who you can’t help but feel for as Rose ignores his feelings towards her. Sami Gayle as Mia was just short of delivering the mean girl, perhaps because of her limited scenes and the fact that they revealed her story to the audience a little earlier than in the book. Claire Foy played “Crazy Karp” just like I’d imagined and though Olga Kurylenko‘s Kirova was a little spiced up, it didn’t affect the story.
The Changes
Book to movie adaptations all suffer changes and purist fans of books often renounce the film version. It is true that most book adaptations now days do not do the story any justice, especially as seen in the recent The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones film where some changes took away from the spirit of the book, even if necessary.
In the case of Vampire Academy, fans that are staying away are completely missing out on how true this film is to the book. Yes there are changes; some of these changes are required to explain things to the audience while some other changes make things grander (seriously guys, explosions and fights make things better on screen). Then there are a few changes like the following that simply roll three different scenes from the book into one, case in point – the classroom fire scene.
This scene combined three classroom scenes from the book, firstly, when Mia and Ralf accuse Lissa of killing the fox and Christian sets Ralf on fire, secondly, where Rose and Lissa are passing notes to each other and are caught by the teacher, Mr. Nagy who reads it out aloud, and finally, another when the rumours start spreading about Rose in class and the someone shouts out “Rose, I bleed for you,” which is also included in the film! While we would have liked more classroom scenes than we got, it is understandable that the included all three scenes in one because of time constraints.
There are also some minor changes, such as the use of British accents amongst the royal Moroi and of course the fact that Sami Gayle’s Mia is devoid of her curls, but these are little things and don’t change character personalities or the story. It can be hard for purists, but if you can let go of these small details and appreciate the true personalities of the character and the spirit of the story that is capture in the film, you will really enjoy the experience.
However, there are some scenes amiss that I would have really liked to see and these would have helped develop some characters more as well as explained things without the use of too much exposition in dialogue and voice-over (and while I can listen to Rose talk all the time, others aren’t too impressed by such things). A classroom scene with Guardian Stan could have helped explain the three classes of vampires (with the animation included from the music video) and the need for the Dhampirs to protect the Moroi. Some more scenes with Mason (which could have showcased his humour and interactions with Rose) and with Dimitri (to develop his relationship with Rose further, such as actually reprimanding her for being with Jesse) could have helped the script as well.
So, are those harsh reviews valid?
No. Fans of the book series know that the first book, on which the film is based, is not as good as the rest of the series and is full of high school drama and cheesy lines that are now quoted with cult like fervour (but which were missing in the film). They all know that the best parts with all the serious stuff and the darkness start from the second book onwards. Even if you haven’t read the books and watch this film, there is a huge possibility that you will enjoy it, especially if you don’t go in expecting too much out of it. It’s a fun film that doesn’t take itself too seriously and if you can give in for those 104 minutes, you are guaranteed to be entertained.
The film isn’t without its flaws and does fall short in its pacing, scene transitioning and editing. It has been speculated that the Studio (The Weinstein Company) cut out scenes to shorten the length of the film and one wonders that those scenes could have helped the film flow smoothly and in turn the film would have avoided such harsh critical scrutiny. For instance, the film had some great action scenes but there was not enough build up of tension leading to those scenes. Further, the arrival of the Queen was done very randomly and some scenes jumped in and out, almost out of sequence and such things can make non-book readers very confused.
Daniel Waters has adapted the book cleverly with his dark humour and Mark Waters brought out some great performances from the young cast of the film. However, the books (and any future films based on them) get progressively darker and while Mark Waters’ adaptation of the first one just about works with his mainstream vision, it might not be the case when it comes to the more serious films and perhaps a change in the creative team can help give the future films a bit more seriousness that comes with the future books. For this film, however, the team works, and while some scenes could have been added to help make the film flow smoothly, it is in no way a poor film.
From most of the reviews, it seems that critics didn’t even TRY to understand what was happening and most certainly walked in “knowing” they will dislike it – although from some reviews it’s hard to make out whether they wrote the piece after watching the trailer or the movie because they have no idea what the film is about. Further, it doesn’t do any good that they try and compare it to previous works just because it is a fantasy film catering to younger women.
Why the film failed to get the numbers?
As is widely known, the film didn’t generate enough in ticket sales this past weekend in North America. If anything – or anyone – is to be blamed, it is the marketing of this film. For months, the trailers have passed it off as a Mean Girls-esque comedy and they couldn’t have been more misleading. The film is not Mean Girls 2.0 and while it retains its sarcastic humour from the book, it isn’t slapstick funny either.
Further, the neon green poster with the pink tagline that said “They Suck At School” was the worst idea ever. The film and the story is SO MUCH MORE than that stupid tagline which not only keep non-readers away but also alienated a huge percentage of the fanbase, most of whom will still not give it a chance. If only they could have marketed it with this absolutely EPIC music video featuring CHVRCHES’ cover of Bela Lugosi’s Dead – again, something that most people have unnecessarily criticised. Covers are not meant to be copies of the original work and the CHVRCHES’ version retains the haunting spirit of the song while making it accessible to an entirely new generation.
Why you still need to see it
Vampires may not be your thing and their recent invasion may have made you weary, but if you want a night out to watch a fun film, then Vampire Academy is right up your alley. Many film-goers, both from within the target demographic and outside it have enjoyed the film, such as this person below –
If you are a fan of Young Adult books and films, then supporting them by watching the movies is very important because there are some excellent book series (Shatter Me? The Fifth Wave? Hush Hush? anyone?) out there that depend on the success of films like The Mortal Instruments and Vampire Academy to be made into films themselves. So do give it a chance. If the reviews and fan reactions make you weary, check out the review from Page to Premiere who specialise in book-to-film adaptations and despite the film’s flaws, enjoyed it.
Final Verdict
You may think that we may be biased (being a fansite and all that) but the fact is that the film is very enjoyable. Yes, it is not perfect and there are some flaws, but there are also some great performances and some fascinating sequences. Further, there is just something surreal and eerie about seeing these characters from our imaginations, brought to life with such precision.
A book and its film adaptation called “Vampire Academy” isn’t trying to be life-changing or a critical darling – you can’t go in expecting Shakespearian prose. What it is, is pure entertainment with some great messages of friendship, love and loyalty. So all you need to do is give this film a chance because the story gets so much better from the second one onwards and with all that character development yet to come, you don’t want to miss out on some excellent performances by this cast in future films. Oh and of course, Adrian Ivashkov only enters the scene in the second book (incentive for the book readers).
If you’ve seen the film, check out some BTS videos and interviews with the cast below (spoilers).
For more coverage on the film, click here!
Vampire Academy Promo Goodies: Part 5
Last week was busy, busy, busy and this week is no different because this week is “VAMPIRE ACADEMY PREMIERE AND RELEASE” week! You guys, I’m emotional, this has been a long journey for us fans (five for me and seven for the other fangirl who makes up fangirling central) and the film has technically been three years in the making. Now it’s time to support one of our favourite book series of all time, the author Richelle and the countless cast and crew who have brought it to life. More on that later, first, let’s recap all the news we’ve missed in the past couple of days (because I was too bust fangirling and feeling the feels).
1. First up, there are FOUR video interviews from Screen Slam (held during the press junket last Saturday). There are some amazing interviews with Zoey, Lucy, Sarah each and one with Lucy and Dom <3. Check them out below.
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2. Zoey also appeared in a video for Clevver TV and played “Caption It” with host Joslyn Davis. Watch the hilarious video below.
Also check Joslyn Davis’ reaction after watching the film –
And while we are at yet, another fan saw the film and LOVED IT! [you guys, I’m so excited but here at Fangirling Central, our wait to watch the film will be late – Feb 21 (India) and April 23 (UK) – say what!]
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3. Over at MTV, Dominic was declared to be the “Man Crush Monday” candidate for this Monday, and we couldn’t agree more!
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4. In what will surely become “Vampire Academy Trivia”, it was revealed that Danila Kozlovksy (Dimitri) and Olga Kurylenko (Ms. Kirova) have dubbed for their characters in Vampire Academy for the Russian market.
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5. Zoey Deutch articles news!
Beauty High did an article with Zoey discussing the film as well as beauty. Some excerpts from the interview are below.
Beauty High: “Vampire Academy” will be in theaters for Valentine’s Day. Is this a movie you’d recommend bringing your boyfriend to, or would you go with a group of girlfriends?
Zoey Deutch: By no means is it a chick flick. It leans more towards comedy, but the secondary genre is thriller/action, so thirdly it’s a romance. If anything, guys would really enjoy it, it totally appeals to that audience. The title is understandably girly, but it’s guy-centric and funny and they’ll really dig it. Cars blow up and stuff.Beauty High: When you’re not on set, what’s your go to beauty look?
Zoey Deutch: I’m pretty OCD about facial cleanliness, and I carry Cetaphil wash and moisturizer in my purse everywhere I go. I love a clean face. I like mascara and Vaseline for my lips. But for auditions, when I go to meetings, I try to spruce up a little more. They pound on the makeup at work.
Also check out this beauty product gallery to learn more about the go to beauty products of VA stars Zoey Deutch and Sarah Hyland.
Zoey was also interviewed by OK! Magazine. Check out some excerpts below.
OK!: What drew you to the role of Rose initially?
Zoey Deutch: When you’re an actor you get an email from your agent that says the breakdown of the story, the director, the producers, the budget, the shooting location, when it starts…whatever. The first thing I saw was Mark Waters. I thought, “Oh gosh, he did my favorite movie Mean Girls.” That was the initial thing that struck me this could be really cool. Then I read the sides and the script and I thought, “Wow, this is a never before done, super unique character.”OK!: Do you feel addicted to the physical training that goes into a role like this?
ZD: I was a dancer; I love yoga, I love hiking. I had never set foot into a gym prior to getting this job. I fell more in love with the kickboxing and martial arts training. That was super fun. I try to act tough and cool and like I know what’s going on and I totally don’t. Having the ability to genuinely defend yourself is something no one can take away from you.
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6. Two interviews of Dominic also appeared online. In the first, with “about.com” he talks playing Christian, his clumsiness and working with Mark Waters. Some excerpts are given below.
What was it about the character you found so interesting?
“The 5-year-old in me got to play a vampire. He gets to play with fire and fall in love with the princess and save the day. The little boy in me would have kicked my ass if I hadn’t taken this role.”Are you clumsy in real life or is it just the set that made you horribly clumsy?
“Oh no, all the time. I’m a horribly clumsy person. Yeah, I’m dropping stuff, falling over all the time. I’m a lot less clumsy when I used to motorbike. When I was on my motorbike or when I’m skateboarding or long-boarding, I’m very elegant. Not ‘very elegant’ – I’m more elegant when I’m doing those sort of things, but when I’m walking down the street I will probably fall down.”Speaking of life on the set, what was Mark Waters like as a director?
“Amazing. Mark is an actor’s director – that’s the best way of putting him. He knows exactly how to talk to us and to work with us and how to get the best performance out of us and taught us all of these tricks and tips that I can now move on and use the rest of my life, but he’s also the nicest man.”
In an interview at the press junket, published by Kidzworld, Dominic spoke about his school experiences, his interest in Greek mythology and Christian! Some excerpts below –
Kidzworld: At school, were you sporty or nerdy or….?
Dominic: I was musical. I still play a lot of music now because it’s a very cathartic thing for me, personally. “Oh, I’m feeling sad” or “I’m feeling happy” and I’ll sit down and play a song and I’ll feel better. I play guitar, a little piano and I sing a little…my own stuff.Kidzworld: Now that you’ve played a type of vampire, do you want to play a zombie or anything like that?
Dominic: Something in the supernatural genre? I’m actually very into Greek mythology and always have been. Anything to do with the Gods or Demigods or Hercules or Perseus or Achilles. I’ve always been really, really interested in that sort of stuff. I have Hermes tattoo, the winged messenger. (He shows us his ankle. Yep, wings!).Kidzworld: What are the aspects of the Christian character that you hope people learn from?
Dominic: The things that I want people to connect to and to learn from aren’t related to him being a vampire. They are related to the normal things that normal people go through in a normal high school. Those are the things that I wanted to learn. If people are watching Christian I’d want them to see that he’s loyal and he loves Lissa and it doesn’t really matter what people think about you. Good things come to those who deserve it and who’ve earned it. Christian really did. He’d earned himself a friend and a soulmate and he found it in Lissa.
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7. Two interviews with author Richelle Mead were also published online. In an interview with The Young Folks, Richelle talked about the film, Zoey Deutch, the script as well as the fifth Bloodlines book, Silver Shadows, out later this year. Some excerpts are given below.
On the film –
“I have seen it, and I am in love with it,” Mead answered.On Zoey Deutch –
“My agent and I were talking about her, and when we saw the movie, Zoey was so effortlessly Rose. You don’t even realize it, like I couldn’t believe it. She has that attitude, and she brings it on camera. Off camera, she’s just so spunky; when she’s in the room, people know it. She’s not just spunk and humor, but she’s also a super caring and compassionate young woman. I fondly remember being on set, and she was worried about me being under the lights, I don’t know if you know this, but it’s really hot being on set. It was a long day on set for her, and she was worried about me, making sure I had enough water and I was comfortable. It’s funny because her caring reflects how Rose treats Lissa, and she has that fun attitude that we love, so Zoey was able to play both types well.”
On Daniel Waters writing the script –
“[Getting the right screenwriter] was very important to me, and I didn’t know if they were going to get a screenwriter who was so deeply melodramatic that none of Rose’s attitude would carry through. Well, I just loved the script. I was especially relieved because he gets what I did with the book and fully realizes it. The comedy is there, and I know some people are worried about that based on the advertising, but it’s still with the tone of the book. The seriousness is still there. He was very conscientious about that. He understood what I was trying to do, and what I was doing was trying to balance a bunch of different tones. And you know, he carried that through to the script.”
In an interview with Popsugar, Richelle spoke about why fan’s shouldn’t be nervous about the film.
PS: After seeing the movie, what are you most proud of as a writer?
RM: The characters really translated well onto the screen. It’s always my biggest goal as a writer to make characters that, before you fall in love with them, you want to know everything that’s going to happen to them. That’s what hooks me as a reader. I put most of my work into the characters when I write, and I was so thrilled that the actors nailed it.PS: What is the biggest change they made from the book to the movie?
RM: I can’t pinpoint one big one; it’s mostly a lot of little things throughout. They didn’t radically alter major plot points or change the ending. There is a handful of things where either they had to trim down a scene or if something didn’t play well visually, they may have enhanced it. One big thing that has thrown a few people off is that there are a few flashbacks and dream sequences that have been added on. When people see those in the trailers, they get confused and a little nervous because they think there’s been some radical plot alteration, but really it’s just something to help clarify the movie. This is a movie that you’re going to look at and know instantly what book it’s from. That’s not always the case with adaptations.
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8. Speaking of Popsugar, Zoey Deutch and Lucy Fry visited them for an interview. Check out the video below.
And speaking of more video interviews, check out this one of Zoey, Lucy and Dominic with Houston Style Magazine.
Earlier yesterday, Zoey appeared on “Good Day LA” where compliments from the host made her hide in embarrassment!
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9. Huffington Post published an article written by Mark Waters explaning why Vampire Academy is different to any other Young Adult book to movie adaptation that have hit the silver screen. Be sure to check it out.
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10. Yesterday (Monday, Feb 3) kicked off the film’s release week with a meet and greet in Los Angeles as well as a party to launch the music soundtrack which was attended by – Zoey Deutch, Lucy Fry, Danila Kozlovsky, Dominic Sherwood, Cameron Monaghan, Sami Gayle, Ashley Charles and Dominique Tipper, as well as the director Mark Waters, writer Daniel Waters and the producers. And we have the pictures!!!
First up, the meet and greet at The Grove in LA was attended by Zoey, Lucy, Dom, Cameron and Sami. Check out more photos at Fans of Vampire Academy.
Then the most adorable thing happened when Lucy started playing with a little dog and Zoey took the video. Watch it below –
http://instagram.com/p/j-tEhhNhax
Later, the party started at LURE nightclub and ROCKED on as Iggy Azalea (one of the contributing artists on the film’s soundtrack) took the stage and sang her hit numbers. Check out more photos at Fans of Vampire Academy.
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Vampire Academy Promo Goodies: Part 4
This roundup brings you more interviews, Q and As with the cast, a mall party and TWO new awesome TV spots!
1. First up, listen to the first track from the Vampire Academy Soundtrack, Jaymes Bullet’s “In Your Grave” was released a few hours ago and sounds great! The version on SoundCloud is explicit, but there will be a clean version on the soundtrack.
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2. Next up, listen to the radio interview of Zoey Deutch, Lucy Fry and Dominic Sherwood on Breathe Radio. The over 20 minute long chat with the gang gave us new insights about them and the film. Talking about fan reactions, Zoey said it excited her that there were so many people who are so passionate about the source material and it is alright for them to voice their opinions, but it wouldn’t change the way she worked or what she has done in the film. On whether they Googled themselves, Dom said that when you find 100 positive comments and one negative comment, the negative one makes him think “oh I’m not doing a good job” and so he only does it once in a blue moon. Lucy said she was nervous and excited for the film and Dom said they were all signed to do sequels (unless the filmmakers wouldn’t want them anymore – pfft, as if).
Talking about vampire fatigue, Lucy explained that this story was unlike anything else seen before and no humans are involved (not directly as Zoey mentioned the human feeder programme) with this world, which is just a fun magical world and there is no mystery of exploration because the characters are already embedded as Dominic added.
The talk show host (a guy) also mentioned that because of the humour in the trailer, a guy would be more inclined to see this and Zoey agreed adding that too much expositional dialogue in young adult films can be exhausting and that the embedded humour in the film was her favourite part. Lucy added that her boyfriend was reluctant to watch the film saying it was aimed at teen girls and about vampires but he actually loved the film. He had fun watching it and was really surprised, adding that he wasn’t expecting to like it, but loved it.
In the final segment, there was a laugh riot as Dominic pronounced “Twitter” in an English accent when asked about his social media and Zoey said she loved that (also mentioning her go to social media was Instagram). Lucy was the cutest when she confessed she didn’t know what her Twitter username was, so Dominic announced it for her. (For a full roundup of the cast/crew on social media, check out our Vampire Academy page). (Photos from Straight Male Friend‘s Facebook page).
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3. The cast then headed to Facebook headquarters (and also got their facebook accounts verified – Zoey, Dominic, Lucy) where they participated in a Q&A with fans on the Vampire Academy Movie page. You can read the Q&A on Fans of Vampire Academy and/or Vampire Academy India. Some of our favourite answers by the cast are given below (photos from the official movie page and Zoey and Lucy’s instagrams) –
Q. Hey What is your best memory from the experience on Vampire Academy?
Dominic: The people i have met and the relationships that i have developed
Zoey: The people i have met and the relationships that i have developed
Lucy: Same, all the amazing people. Cast and Crew. It was so fun. And being in England. It was such a treat to be in London. The people for sure and it was such a treat to be in london… amazing place
Q. Hey guys! How exciting has this week been? Did it get overwhelming or too daunting at any point!?
Dominic: Its very exciting and I’m trying not to let it get to me! (as much as possible)
Lucy: It is really exciting- there is so much happening that it does feel quite overwhelming but in a way that is full of new ideas and great new experiences . My favorite thing is meeting the fans!
Q. What’s your favorite part of the movie? and is there going to be a 2nd one/ whole movie series with the books
Dominic: I love the ending
Lucy: I love…. the whole thing.
Q. What was each of your favourite scenes
Dominic: The attic scenes
Lucy: The opening scene
Q. What was the hardest part about filming this movie?
Dominic: The middle….(you will know when you see it)
Lucy: It was probably the torture scene… ouchies
Q. Is your movie staying real to the book?
Dominic: As much as we can, its pretty close yeh
Lucy: yes it is, but be prepared to enjoy the book in a new life as a film!
Q. Who’s the funniest cast member
Zoey: Danila
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4. Dominic Sherwood’s interview with Teen and Lucy Fry’s interview with Life is Good Everyday also appeared online. Further, Richelle Mead’s exclusive interview with Fangirlish was also published where she talked about the film and the MTV Movie Brawl. Some excerpts and snippets from these interviews are given below, but do to check out the full interviews above.
Dominic for TEEN
On director Mark Waters
“It’s such a pleasure to work with Mark. I never had a day where it seemed stressful. I knew what was happening, and I knew we were working toward deadlines, and Mark was under some stress, but he never pressured us… It was a really, really nice relationship.”
On his character, Christian Ozera
“He’s had a terrible upbringing because his parents [are] the worst things that are known in vampire culture; [they’ve done] the worst thing that they could possibly do. So all the people at school — I think it would be kind of like [at] any school, if your parents do something that’s seen as criminal or immoral or whatever, he’s neglected, and he’s pushed to one side, and he’s segregated and bullied by all the kids at school, so he ends up very much on his own; he turns to humor and sarcasm and that’s how he kind of defends himself.”
On his appearance in Vampire Academy
“My eyes are different colors normally, in reality. Christian and the entire Ozera family have these piercing, ice blue eyes. Mark wanted my eyes as is. I did have to watch what I [ate]… a little. Christian’s, like, skinny. We weren’t allowed out in the sun when we were filming, which was over the summer, so that was difficult.”
Which of the elements would he want in real life?
“It’d be fire, hands down.”
Lucy for Life is Good Everyday
Q: Did you do anything special to prepare for the film?
A: Lots of voice training to get my English accent perfect and yoga to get my princess posture! I also did lots of training with a physical theatre coach to find ways to physically manifest the pain Lissa feels over the loss of her parents.
Q: Friendship is the overshadowing theme in the film. How was it filming with a strong female cast?
A: Filming was amazing! We all got along really well and had a natural connection from the start. What really drew me to this film in the first place were the strong female roles- it is a liberating story for women.
Q: Why should people go see this film?
A: Because they will have lots of fun! It’s got action, comedy, romance and doesn’t take itself too seriously.
Q: This movie comes out close to Valentine’s Day. Do you have any plans this year?
A: I am not that really into Valentine’s Day as a romantic thing. I believe every day you should be romantic. At my high school we actually had a celebration as friends every year. I am hoping a lot of girls go to see this film on Valentine’s Day and celebrate their friendships.
Richelle Mead for Fangirlish
Q. There have been quite a few clips and stills that have been released. What has been the general feedback on social media and what do you think of them?
Richelle: I am a huge fan of everything that I have seen. I have read the script and I have seen an early cut of the movie. I have the big picture to look at. To me, it is very true to it and I think people are starting to feel that way the more they see actual footage from the movie.
What scene are you most excited to see on the big screen?
Richelle: I am most excited about the ending. Endings are my favorite part to write of the book. It’s what everything is building towards – all the clues, all the mysteries. It’s when everything comes together for me as a writer.
On the MTV Movie Brawl –
Richelle: It is really incredible to see what they do. It’s exactly what you said, they have hit out some really big titles. I don’t think readers have the same understanding of these fandoms and readership as we do on the publishing side. We see sales numbers. We know who is big and who is not. Vampire Academy has a huge following, but it really is dwarfed by some of these other ones.
It’s just incredible that they do this – that they form friendships with each other in different places, just for the sake of seeing this book that they love put up on this altar. It’s incredible.
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5. Two NEW TV spots, “Humanity” and “Extraordinary” were released last night in the run up to the film’s release with new scenes and some strange new things that (are not from the book) that might be part of dream sequences. All in all, these videos are revving up our excitement for the film.
“We are the protectors, the guardians of humanity.” – Rose
“This where the outcast losers hang out?” – Rose
“I don’t bite, well not literally.” – Christian
“We learn fun new ways to maim and kill.” – Rose
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6. The three, Zoey, Dom and Lucy then attended a mall Meet and Greet with fans in San Fransisco as well as a book signing at Barnes and Noble. They also did a press conference photo shoot. Some of the pictures are below and for more click on the links above.
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There you have it … all the updates from yesterday with a whole lot more to come this weekend with the press conference scheduled in Los Angeles and a concert with singer Iggy Azalea and the cast of the film. Stay tuned.
Vampire Academy Promo Goodies: Part 3
And the promotions continue. The cast did a lot of interviews yesterday and we even got a first look at the sketches of the film’s costume designer, Ruth Myers. Check out all the interviews, videos and articles below.
1. While still in New York yesterday (Thursday, January 30) Sarah Hyland started off with an appearance on Canadian show BT Vancouver to promote the film and spoke about how this film showcases themes of female empowerment and is not about damsels in distress. Watch the interview below –
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2. Sarah also appeared on The Morning Show where she spoke about the film, particularly training for the character and how her Vampire Academy character is so different from the Modern Family one. Check out the interview below –
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3. Sarah also visited the offices of fashion and lifestyle magazines, Marie Claire and Vanity Fair for promoting the film.
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4. Over in Texas, Zoey, Lucy and Dominic appeared on Great Day Houston, where the host, Deborah, fielded questions and the cast replied with fun answers. Watch the interview below –
On the obsession with vampires:
Lucy: I think there has been an obsession with vampires for centuries and its just changing with what the society is going through that time so we’ve gone from ”I want to suck your blood” to pop, teenage vampires who just go to school and want a normal life.”
On the film:
Dominic: It’s the dichotomy of normal teenagers going to a normal high school and the surreal element of the battle for good and evil and the supernatural.
On acting:
Zoey: Acting is my passion, it is what i want to do forever, and also I have no other skills.
Dominic: [speaking about the spark that ignited a passion for acting] I used to watch a lot of Disney films and I used to watch Prince Charming and him getting the girl and I was like that’s what I want to be when I grow up.
On the film:
Dominic: I just saw it yesterday, they sent it to my hotel room but I’m one of the worst people, because I watch myself and go [groans] “I look like that”, “I sound funny”, “I was doing that with my face”, “I just look terrible”. So I just watched the entire movie and came out with a poor sense of self esteem. [Co-stars] are great, it’s amazing to see Sarah and Cameron and all the others, because I only had scenes with [Lucy and Zoey] and not with anyone else, so to see all the other guys and all the bits that I had actually read in the script and actually have them put them up on its feet is actually really cool and good to see.
Zoey: I have seen it and it is such a fun film, it’s not what people expect it to be and it’s really a good date movie. There is something for the guys, there’s action, it’s sexy, it’s funny … I really think it has something for everybody … and it’s a fun film.
Lucy: Yeah it’s a movie you go to see to have fun and the comedy in it plays really well juxtaposed with the kind of darkness of the academy and I think that’s kind of one of the really interesting things about it, it’s such a dark setting and it’s got this mystery of vampires in this historical school then it’s so light and it’s got this energy bouncing off of each other and it’s got this momentum and I think it’s the kind of film you go and see and it’s got the perfect mixture of all the elements of action and comedy and drama.
Check out some of these screen caps below –
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5. Zoey then headed over for an interview on the airwaves with radio channel 99.7 [NOW!]. Listen to her interview below –
When asked if she was a badass, Zoey said “I’m definitely not. There was a lot of training, actually three and a half months of gym, kickboxing, martial arts training and stunt choreography but afterwards i definitely felt prepared that I had something to work.” On Rose, Zoey described her as strong and added, “Emotionally I find strength in her vulnerability, in her loyalty to her best friend, in her ability to make mistakes, acknowledge them and move forward.” She also added, “Lucy and I, strangely enough, have a very similar relationship in real life to the relationship in the film.” Make sure you hear the full interview above.
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6. Ruth Myers, the costume designer for Vampire Academy, revealed her sketches for Rose’s training outfit, the dance dress as well as Dimitri’s duster. She also shared her costume making process from sketch to reality. Check out the article on E! Online and the photos below –
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7. Tearaway NZ published an interview with author Richelle Mead where she talked about creating the world of Vampire Academy, writing from the point of view of Sydney in Bloodlines as well as her thoughts on the movie. Check out a few of her answers below, and make sure to read the full interview at the link given above.
Why vampires? What made you decide to write about vampires specifically?
Richelle: Before I wrote Vampire Academy, I’d already started two adult series, one about demons and one about fairies. I needed a new paranormal creature to work with for my teen series, and vampires fit the bill, especially after I’d studied Eastern European folklore at college. I’d learned some great Romanian vampire myths that I liked, so I decided to try working them into a series. At the time this was happening, vampires hadn’t hit their current phase of popularity, so I had no idea what I was getting into. It was very lucky timing.
What do you think of the movie being made of Vampire Academy? Any complaints or disappointments? Are you excited and have you been involved much in it?
Richelle: The movie’s been a lot of fun, and overall, I’m really pleased with it. My role has mostly been advisory, which is pretty normal for authors. I’m a book expert, and the movie people are movie experts, so I’m happy letting them do their jobs. It’s great that they do consult with me, though, and I’ve been asked questions about costumes or if certain changes will affect future books. Some authors never get asked that, so I’m super grateful they bring my opinion in. Books and movies are very different mediums, so changes are inevitable, but we’re pretty lucky in that most changes that have been made are small and are for the sake of time or to make something more interesting on the screen. All the main plot points are still there. And I can’t say enough about how wonderful the cast is. They look like their characters, but more importantly, they really understand their characters. In fact, some of them have the same personalities in real life! It’s been amazing watching them bring these roles to life and see how much they really love being part of the movie.
8. Lucy Fry did an interview on The Better Show, where she talked about getting the part in Vampire Academy, Mark Waters attention to detail, hiding from the sun to shoot as a pale Moroi as well as her experience on her upcoming film Now Add Honey with Portia de Rossi where she, an Australian, plays an American girl trying to adjust to life in Australia. Watch the interview below –
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9. A new TV Spot was seen and includes a couple of new scenes and extended dialogue, especially Rose’s “To get to her, you’ll have to go through me.” Watch it below and see if you can spot something new!
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10. Another really fun article with Zoey and Lucy at Buzzfeed headquarters has us laughing in splits! We learnt some great things about these two, some of which are listed below –
How did you celebrate getting your roles?
LF: I went to Pinkberry with my friends.
ZD: I’m very boring. I went out to dinner with my family.
If you had to give a superlative to Danila Kozlovsky what would it be?
LF: Best man (laughs).
ZD: Yeah.
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11. Information about the world premiere of the film on February 4 has appeared thanks to Gossipgyal on Twitter, and according to her there will be no live stream of the premiere. The following are the details for the premiere –
‘Vampire Academy’ LA Premiere info:
WHO is attending:
VAMPIRE ACADEMY cast including Sarah Hyland, Zoey Deutch, Olga Kurylenko, Lucy Fry, Sami Gayle, Dominic Sherwood, Cameron Monaghan, Joely Richardson, Danila Kozlovsky, Ashley Charles, director Mark Waters, writer Daniel Waters (and more to be announced)!
WHEN: Tuesday, February 4th
PRESS CHECK-IN: 5:30 PM
ARRIVALS: 6:30 PM
SCREENING: 7:30 PM
WHERE: Regal Cinemas L.A. Live Stadium 14, 1000 W Olympic Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90015
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Stay tuned, there are more interviews with Sami, Sarah, Zoey, Lucy and Dom coming up as well as the San Francisco Mall Party at Westfield Center. Don’t forget to check our Vampire Academy page for links to all the news and events taking place in the lead up to the film’s release.
Vampire Academy Goodies: New Poster and More
With the release of Vampire Academy nearby, the publicity and promos are gearing up and it’s impossible to keep track! Especially when you count all the TV spots and trailers they keep releasing every two days! When the tagline said ”Prepare to be Tested” back in July, 2013 … this is surely what they meant! We bring you a roundup of all that has happened so far. Check our Vampire Academy page to make sure you are up to date with everything going on.
1. First up – Check out this poster, definitely an improvement with the colour and tagline and our Morois and Dhampirs look fierce and ready to battle, in an exclusive reveal via Buzzfeed.
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2. Check out the songs from the Vampire Academy soundtrack, we’ve updated with the CHVRCHES cover of Bela Lugosi’s Dead and all other songs (except one yet to be released) right here and the CHVRCHES cover right below –
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3. Danila Kolzovsky (Dimitri Belikov) attended a press conference in Russia to talk about the film. Read the English Translation of the interview which is SUPER ADORBS on Kozlovsky Brazil and if you want to watch him, and lets be honest, who wouldn’t even if they don’t understand Russian, watch it below!
Check out some of our favourite highlights from the press conference –
Danila on Skyping with Mark Waters (on auditioning for VA):
“I showed him two scenes from Richelle’s 1st book. The first scene is how real a Dhampir must kill a Strigoi. I showed him some gestures and read the text. The second scene was about how Dimitri first understood he was falling for Roza. I must show how I see her (Roza), what i’m thinking, how i’m looking at her, what i’m thinking about her.”
Danila on his Vampire Academy Movie partners:
“All the guys are so young (i repeat: so young!) But all of them are incredibly talented. They (Dominic & Lucy) are big professionals but they’re funny too. They made my hard work easier because both have a great sense of humor. There were a lot of joke and laugh during the shooting. They (Dominic & Lucy) helped me with my adaptation very much! She (Zoey Deutch) works so much and so hard! She had only one day off on this shooting, but i never heard complaints from her.”
Danila on Richelle Mead:
“I must say my personal thanks to this amazing writer and woman. She created a very interesting character: Dimitri. She allowed him to fall in love, to love and to protect those he loves! He’s a gentleman and i really appreciate it! Thank you, Richelle!”
Journalist: Can you compare Vampire Academy with Twilight or Harry Potter, for example?
“I never watched Twilight. But i watched Harry Potter! I’m a real fan of this story. Once i watched all the Harry Potter movies in a whole day. (Everyone has a bad day when we want to relax, don’t we?) – Danila laughs – I can’t compare these movies. Every single one of them has their own mythology. Maybe i can only say that the main action of these stories is at schools (or Academy). But i don’t see other points.”
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4. Sami Gayle (Mia Rinaldi) appeared on PIX11 to speak about Vampire Academy. She spoke about how Vampire Academy was different from other vampire movies because it was set in a school and is about the tribulations of teenagers at school and how difficult it is to grow up in the stage between adolescents and adults, something both demographics will be able to relate to. Check out the interview below –
You can also check out the screencaps and transcription on Fans of Vampire Academy.
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5. Sarah Hyland (Natalie Dashkov) appeared on the radio with Ryan Seacrest to talk about Vampire Academy. Sarah said that she was excited for her fans to see the film because it is so different than anything else she’s ever done in the past. She described her character as being nerdy, wearing fake pimples, glasses and frizzy hair. Listen to the session below –
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6. Zoey Deutch (Rose Hathaway) and Lucy Fry (Lissa Dragomir) took over a Reddit AMA session, answering questions from fans. Check it out on Fans of Vampire Academy. Our favourites are shown below –
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7. Zoey and Lucy then appeared live on Huffington Post to chat about Vampire Academy. They looked super cute –
Zoey spoke about how funny Vampire Academy is and Lucy added that it takes a cheekiness to vampires along with the power and darkness that comes with being a vampire. Watch the interview below –
Check out more screencaps and some quotes on Fans of Vampire Academy.
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8. Richelle Mead has seen the movie and she loved it! Last night she took over @VAOfficialMovie‘s Twitter handle to chat with fans who had questions for her. Check out the excerpts below and read her full interview here on Fans of Vampire Academy or Her Royal Guardian. Some of our favourites are below –
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9. A few days earlier, Dominic Sherwood (Christian Ozera) did an interview for Hypable which is so insightful. Be sure to read it. Our favourite Q&As …
Q: How did you create the character of Christian?
A: “I went to six auditions for the part of Christian. This is really embarrassing, I worked at Hollister just up the road from where the auditions were being held and I would do an audition one day and my agent would ring me up and say, “that was great but they want you to make him funnier.” I would go in and do that and then I would get a phone call saying, “yeah, that was great but they want you to go in and make him darker, and make him poutier.” I was like, “oh my god, you don’t know what you want!” But when I got offered the role I realized that Christian was all those things.”
Q: What was it like to use fire as Christian’s element?
A: “I was so excited to get to play with fire. It was unreal. We toyed around with the idea early on with this special gel where they could set my hands on fire. I could have done all this crazy stuff with it but we ended up not using it. We had live fire on the set for the whole ending sequence but again, I’m not allowed to mention, but it was cool. We had fire very close to my body at one point and the stunt and safety team had gotten to know me by then and they knew I was pretty clumsy and dumb at times. They were like, “don’t put your hands in the fire whatever you do.” I was like, “Cool. I will try to do that guys, not put my hands in open flame.””
Q: Do you have a message for the fans?
A: “It would be: thank you. For all of the support you have given us and being so nice to us. The MTV Movie Brawl is going on right now and they are so 100% behind us. Thank you, is all I can say. I wish I had more eloquent words, more poetic words, to give you but thanks is all I’ve got.”
There you go, calling all VA fans, book fans, YA fans, vote for Vampire Academy in the MTV Movie Brawl and make it the number one movie, click here.
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10. Also don’t miss all the upcoming promos and contests such as winning tickets to the LA premiere and other events like the meet and greet in different US cities and promos coming up, check out the list below, courtesy Fans of Vampire Academy and Vampire Academy’s Official Movie Facebook Event page –
Competitions from Ryan Seacrest and SheKnows and TWC.
January 28: Zoey Deutch is taking over Yahoo Insta
January 29: Kelly and Michael with Sarah Hyland
January 29: Red carpet endings meeting the cast
January 29: VA Movie Mall Party, 2 PM local time, Houston Galleria, Houston, TX
January 29: Book signing at Barnes & Noble in The Woodlands (Zoey, Lucy and Dom)
January 31: Sami on the Talk (CBS)
January 31: VA Movie Mall Party, 2 PM local time, Westfield San Francisco Centre, San Francisco, CA
February 1: Press conference LA
February 3: VA Movie Mall Party, 2 PM local time, The Grove, Los Angeles, CA
February 4: LA Premiere, Regal theatre, Los Angeles, CA
February 6: VA Movie Mall Party, 2 PM local time, Westfield Garden State Plaza Mall, Parasmus, NJ
February 6: Zoey Deutch in Under the Gunn
So sign up and attend the events if you live in those cities!
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11. Stay tuned … lots more coming from the world of Vampire Academy … speaking of which, check out the cool new website “World of Vampire Academy” … there are lots of goodies, information on the different levels of guardian training, and this SUPER ADORBS video made by St. Vlad’s students holding a decathlon –
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New “Vampire Academy” Trailers
New Vampire Academy trailers have hit the web featuring new scenes, an introduction by leading ladies, Zoey Deutch and Lucy Fry, and an interview with author Richelle Mead. Check out these awesome new trailers for the film, out in North America on February 7, right below –
Vampire Academy Trailer from Regal Cinemas
The girls talk about high school life
How there are nerds …
and sexy jocks – but idk … Dimitri isn’t a jock … he’s a kickass guardian!
The depressed emo kid …. ❤ hi Christian!
The death threats? … wait that’s not normal high school stuff?!
Oooooooh Spiridion and Dimitri fight!
Whoa … Dimitri picks up Rose in a scene from the start of the film!
Vampire Academy Featurette with Richelle Mead
Richelle talks about the adaptation.
Remember this scene girls? And … do you see something you like? 😉
The trailer shows a scene with the two best friends playfully laughing (thinking this scene might be before the crash?)
There is also this touching scene with Rose helping Lissa, who is clearly in pain.
Then there is this sequence, which feels so much like a scene out of Shadow Kiss … that is getting me worried!
TV Spot – “Forbidden Love”
St. Vlad’s seen from an angle with the lighting changing from light to dark!
Out in the dark woods … something be lurking …
Seriously though – the Dimitri love this TV spot has gotten is just right in the FEELS!
Look at this you guys, Danila is basically just OWNING his scenes …
Rose talks about how special Lissa is …
But Christian isn’t convinced yet! “You want my help?”
He only wants to watch the world burn! 😉
TV Spot – “Undead”
Is this… the first time they lock eyes? DRAGOZERA FEELS.
The well-known clichés… First up: The Jocks!
Rose whooping ass in class. Classic.
Dhampirs can fly? I thought it was only the Moroi who had the special powers…
If the jocks at my school were hot dhampirs like these, I might actually be interested in joining a sport!
And of course we have The Outcasts… Even in schools for vampires.
And apparently they’re HAWT outcasts. Hi, Christian!
Next up: The Haters!
And of course little Mia qualifies.
And we just love Rose’s reaction to Mia’s mean-girl act.
Lissa: You can’t beat up everyone we have a problem with!
Rose: I can TRY!
And finally… The undead. It IS a school for vampires, after-all!
Lady Gaga’s “Teeth” is playing in my head right now… Show me your teeth!
TV Spot – “Secrets”
This TV spot was released on January 24 and features some new scenes.
Rose introduces this new TV spot
Hellooooo Christian ❤ … always good to see you!
Amping up the mystery!
And book fans know what they are talking about! *wink wink*
Hey there! It’s Crazy KARP!
There it is … this strigoi scene again! What’s going on? But look at Rose using those nan-chucks … you go girl!
Nan chucks are to Rose what a stake is to Dimitri!
This one was pretty funny … Lissa: “Did you have to hurt them?” Rose: “You’re welcome.”
TV Spot – “Last Stand”
This TV spot, released January 28, named “Last Stand” has some scenes previously seen, and some new ones!
Karp – “The darkness beckons.”
Rose – “And my good mood is over.”
Lissa – “It’s my turn to kick a little arse.”
These six new trailers give us a better look at the upcoming film and if anything … are making us even more excited, such that we can hardly wait! Check out the release dates for Vampire Academy in your country here and don’t forget to catch it in theatres worldwide, over the course of the next few months!
Did you like the new trailers?
Vampire Academy: Release Date Changes
Earlier this week, rumors began circulating from various sources that the release date for the UK had been moved back a few months. After the change was confirmed by eOne, the UK distributors, that the release would no longer be Feb 19th, but in fact in April… outrage followed.
And whilst UK fans are campaigning to get their release date back, a new release date change has been announced.
Vampire Academy will release a week earlier in the US, on Feb 7th.
Despite heavy marketing for the Valentine’s Day release, the decision has made US fans very happy, who now only have 3 weeks to wait. Check out these reactions from the #VAfamily on Twitter.
But while some are happier, some are feeling even more dejected than they were before. Fans feel sorry for the UK.
And some are just mad. Where just a week ago the fandom was happy, now it seems it’s divided.
A full list of release dates for your country can be found here, on IMDb.
Vampire Academy release date nears
A very exciting New Year’s for the #VAfamily as they got their first official clip from the upcoming movie.
Our thoughts
Sami has nailed it. She’s got all sides of Mia we were hoping she would achieve. That vulnerability bubbling under the bitchy surface. I hope that settles people’s angst over her hair – we love this Mia!
Okay… DRAGOZERA FEELS. Lucy as Lissa gave us chills. And the way Christian protects her?
Dominic is just perfect. Defensive and sexy. Swoon…
Rose! The way she just swoops in there… Zoey is absolutely flawless. #HathawaySwag
And of course, the Rose-Mia punch to the nose. This clip was edited, so we can’t wait to see the full scene! A fan-favorite on the big screen. 🙂
One-liners
“I’ll fire-magic you into ASH!”
“Allow me, Mr Ozera.”
“Why are you Dragomirs SUCH drags?!”
With just over a month left to wait until this highly anticipated movie hits the cinemas, we are very happy with this first look at footage!
Thank you to Lucy Fry Source for uploading the clip for international viewers.
Vampire Academy (NYCC Panel)
If you weren’t able to get to New York Comic Con last week to see the Vampire Academy movie panel, then don’t worry! Someone kindly uploaded the panel for the #VAfamily!
Watch quickly before it’s taken down!
And a massive thank you to MAEntertainment for recording and uploading. 🙂
VA Party Week! (Including first trailer)
We’ve had set visits, the first Fiery Heart book trailer (with the second one to come in a few days’ time), a new official poster, cast interviews and appearances (Comic Con)… It’s been one exciting week for sure.
And here we end it, with the first, full, official, magnificent trailer of our eagerly-anticipated Vampire Academy film adaptation. The moment we have all been waiting for since we first picked up the original book…
HOLY MOROI. I can’t even. How am I breathing I just OMG. So… Yeah. I’m totally handling all of these feels in a cool and collected manner. Mm-hmm. Just… Excuse me while I die from fangirling too much.
We will definitely be decoding the entire thing sometime this week, so be sure to check back with us again soon!
If you’ve survived this week, that is! #ShadowKissed
Related articles
- The VA cast at Comic Con (fansofvampireacademy.wordpress.com)
- NEWS: MTV to air ‘Vampire Academy’ set visit and interview Zoey Deutch and Lucy Fry! (herroyalguardian.com)
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