Summary
- Director André Øvredal received Guillermo del Toro’s blessing for The Last Voyage of the Demeter project, as they had a strong working relationship from their previous collaboration.
- Despite del Toro’s unavailability during production, Øvredal had “extremely helpful” conversations with him at the beginning, showing the influence of del Toro in the movie.
- Øvredal already had an understanding of del Toro’s creative mind to a certain degree, thanks to their previous collaboration on Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark.
With the Oscar winner having been attached at one point, The Last Voyage of the Demeter director André Øvredal reveals that he got the blessing of Guillermo del Toro when he took on the project. The movie is an expansion of the chapter of Bram Stoker’s classic novel Dracula titled “The Captain’s Log.” Although del Toro was set to direct at one point, he had to step down for scheduling reasons and suggested Øvredal for the gig, as he had a strong working relationship with the director after producing his previous feature Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark.
The Hollywood Reporter recently sat down with Øvredal to discuss the Last Voyage of the Demeter release. Although del Toro was not available as a sounding board during the movie’s production due to his commitments to Nightmare Alley and Pinocchio, Øvredal revealed that the pair had “extremely helpful” conversations at the beginning of pre-production. Additionally, thanks to their previous collaboration, the new director was “already inside his mind to the degree that I can be.” Read Øvredal’s full quote below:
No, unfortunately [Guillermo del Toro did not act as my sounding board for production and post-production.] He was so busy with two other movies throughout my process with Demeter. He was working on Nightmare Alley at the same time as we were prepping this, and then he was working on Pinocchio. But I had great conversations with him at the beginning, before we got off the ground, and they were extremely helpful. I learned so much from working with him on Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark that I was already inside his mind to the degree that I can be. I learned so much about the precision of storytelling and how to view a movie from top to bottom, and the way he thinks is extraordinary.
The Last Voyage of the Demeter Still Carries Guillermo del Toro’s Influence
The Last Voyage of the Demeter would likely look different if del Toro had stayed on as director, however, the fact that one of his proteges took over the position means that the movie still retains some of his inimitable influence. Øvredal’s Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark felt in keeping with del Toro’s aesthetic, and while he spreads his wings more in Demeter, their mutual influences are still apparent.
It makes sense that this is a project that del Toro would have some measure of affection for and want someone he knows well to helm. The director has already proven his facility for the subgenre by bringing his vision of vampires to the screen several times before, in very different ways. This started with his audaciously creative debut, 1992’s Cronos, which he followed with the 2002 blockbuster sequel Blade II and two episodes of the bloody FX series The Strain, which he co-created with Chuck Hogan based on a novel they co-wrote.
The Last Voyage of the Demeter feels like a cross between all three of these titles. While it is atmospheric and intense, it also retains some of the blockbuster qualities of Blade II, hence its late-summer release. It remains to be seen if the movie will be as well received by audiences without del Toro’s involvement, but nevertheless the influence of those early conversations can be felt throughout.
Source: THR
This story originally appeared on Screenrant
