Fright Night 2 Jaime Murray Interview - A sequel to 2011's Fright Night already wrapped up filming and will be released later this year. Titled Fright Night 2, the movie has been a little under the radar, but that's about to change soon.
This movie is more of a reboot than a sequel, mixing up the story by taking the main characters from the original movie to Romania, where they encounter Gerri, a female vampire played by Jaime Murray. During Comic-Con, I had a chance to talk one-on-one with Jaime Murray, who told me about playing a vampire and her time on the set in Romania:
Horror fans love the original Fright Night and the remake has been embraced by many fans as well. Had you see the original films prior to joining Fright Night 2? What made you want to be a part of this series?
Jaime Murray: I’m super excited. I’ve always wanted to play a vampire and the Fright Night films are amazing. This one is quite different, because we go back to Romania and Transylvania, the home of the vampire. It’s changed considerably by the fact that the character played by Colin Farrell in the last movie is now played by a woman.
It’s different because Charlie, the hero of our piece, is dealing with a vampire of the opposite sex and it brings up all sorts of complex elements. She’s vampiric in a different way. She tries to control, manipulate, and get her own way in a different way than a man would and that was interesting to play with.
I understand that Fright Night 2 was filmed on location in Romania. Was it your first time working there?
Jaime Murray: They actually film a lot of projects over there, so I had friends that filmed there before, but it was my first time and I had a great experience. The crew was amazing and the castles we shot in were just breathless. They were incredibly creepy. You just have to show up and those amazing locations do all the work for you really. I really didn’t want to get left there at lunch time.
What can horror fans expect in terms of the gore they’ll see in this movie? Was a lot of prosthetic work required for your character?
Jaime Murray: Eduardo, our director, wanted to take it a little further than the other Fright Night movies. He’s very tuned into his audience and will give them enough of what they want.
We did have to change my teeth. They were so big that I couldn’t really act or talk. When I turn Ed, he ends up with these horrifically big prosthetic teeth. I told Eduardo that Ed had them because he was a young vampire, but nobody wants to see me in them. I won my way, eventually. I very much wanted there to be a creature element to my vampire and she’s quite horrific when she turns.
The other Fright Night films are known for their comedic elements. Is that the same with the new movie?
Jaime Murray: There’s definitely comedy and it’s what I liked about the others. It’s a difficult thing to do, because you have to take the viewer to a place of fear and then there’s the release with the humor. It’s an interesting marriage. My character has a charm and quickness of wits, but she’s also so dark that much of the humor is given by Ed, as he did in the original. It was interesting to be able to play with the horror and the comedy.
You seem to take on quite a bit of genre roles. What attracts you to these types of projects?
Jaime Murray: I think the fantasy and sci-fi genre is really interesting. It’s super fun and it’s escapism, but it’s also a very creative way to examine the human psyche. Sitting in the cinema and feeling fear is a safe way to feel things and go about your day. That’s why I became an actress. I enjoy telling stories and taking people on a journey, emotional and mental. This has all of those elements.
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Fright Night 2 will be released to Blu-ray and DVD by Fox later this year. I got an early look at the trailer at Comic-Con and it was shared with fans who received a special USB drive at the Fox Home Entertainment Booth. I'm hoping that the trailer will be online shortly and we'll share it with readers as soon as we can. Until then, here's the official synopsis:
“When high school student Charlie attends a study abroad program with his horror obsessed friend “Evil” Ed and ex-girlfriend AMY in Romania, he soon discovers their young attractive professor Gerri (Jaime Murray) is a real life vampire. Too bad no one believes him. In fact, Evil Ed finds it amusing and it only feeds his vampire obsession. When Gerri turns Ed, Charlie seeks out Peter Vincent, the infamous vampire hunter (well, he plays one on TV) who is in Romania filming his show “Fright Night,” to teach him how to take down Gerri before she gets to Amy, who’s blood will cure Gerri of spending eternity as a vampire.”
After spending more than 10 years as a consultant in the tech and entertainment industry, Jonathan James launched Daily Dead in 2010 to share his interest in horror and sci-fi. Since then, it has grown into an online magazine with a staff of writers that provide daily news, reviews, interviews, and special features.
As the Editor-in-Chief of Daily Dead, Jonathan is responsible for bringing the latest horror news to millions of readers from around the world. He is also consulted with as an expert on zombies in entertainment and pop culture, providing analyses of the zombie sub-genre to newspapers, radio stations, and convention attendees.
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