BD Horror News - SDCC 07: Raimi, Foster, Hartnett & Niles on '30 Days of Night'!

To conclude our written pieces from this year's San Diego Comic Con we have some interesting bits from producer Sam Raimi, stars Ben Foster and Josh Hartnett and writer Steve Niles regarding Sony's upcoming 30 Days of Night, which hits theaters Octrober 19. Set in the isolated town of Barrow, Alaska, in the extreme northern hemisphere, which is plunged into complete darkness annually for an entire month. When most of the inhabitants head south for the winter, a mysterious group of strangers appear: bloodthirsty vampires, ready to take advantage of the uninterrupted darkness to feed on the town's residents.

30 DAYS OF NIGHT
Raimi, Foster, Hartnett and Niles!

By SpookyDan

Ghost House producer Sam Raimi talked to B-D a bit about his interest in acquiring the 30 DAYS OF NIGHTS for the bgi screen, "I think it started with Steve Niles and Ben Templesmith�s incredible graphic novel. I love the original take on the vampires they illustrated. These guys have created a unique and very rich mythology for them. I really liked learning about them and I wanted to know more."

Star Josh Hartnett chimed in with his thoughts on the graphic novel, "I read the graphic novel and spoke to director David Slade on the phone� really the biggest sell for me were the people involved," he continues, "I am going to get shot for saying this but I have never really read a lot of comic books, but I flipped through this one and I saw that the visuals were astounding, and with the help of David, and the visuals, [I knew] this would be a spectacular film." In addition to the comic book blowing his mind, he really dug the screenplay, "The script was great� what it would be like in a situation where you have no escape and you are being hunted�you are in conflict the entire time, and there is no logical way of getting out of it. I have always liked horror films and vampire films, yet I haven�t found a thing for me that had the right element, until this one."

Writer/Creator Steve Niles talked a bit about adapting his own story, "For me they gave me a first shot on the screenplay�it�s been great, everyone has kept me in the loop pretty much through the entire process. I felt really attached to it, pretty much since I first met David I knew it would be in good hands." Niles also chatted a bit about making vampires scary again, "Something that Ben [Templesmith] and I went through when we were making the comic is that vampires aren�t scary anymore," he tells B-D, "They hang out with you; teenage girls date them on TV. We had to strip away all that and use the idea that a creature that looks very much like us, yet look at us like cattle�like food. That is something we really wanted to do� make actual frightening vampires again."

Director David Slade adds to this, "I can make these vampires anything I want them to be," he explains, "my ambition was to make a truly terrifying film, fusing the fantasy and beautifully drawn things and the gritty terrifying thing."

Star Ben Foster loves vampires, in fact you might say he has a fetish, "I have a great vampire fetish. When I was going to the comic book store about two years ago and I found this book, I bought it and I ended up buying several copies of it for friends. It was something that really turns me on. David calls and says I think I have some thing for you called 30 Days of night.. So I go GREAT!!" Although he jokes, "he wouldn�t let me be a vampire"

Sam Raimi concluded with a bold statement, "I have never seen a better vampire film. It�s rare that you come across a great graphic novel, in the field of horror, at least I never had. It was wonderful refreshing and thrilling to come across Steve Niles and this property!"

30 DAYS OF NIGHT hits theaters October 19

30 DAYS OF NIGHT Raimi, Foster, Hartnett and Niles!

30 DAYS OF NIGHT
Raimi, Foster, Hartnett and Niles!