Latest Byzantium Stories

Despite getting modest to mediocre reviews from critics, Neil Jordan's Interview With A Vampire was a major hit when it was released back in the mid-90s. Armed with a cast led by Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt and a large Ann Rice fanbase, the R-rated film opened at number one, made over $100 million domestically, and over $220 million worldwide.

While Ronan's gorgeous blue eyes try to bring some life to the role of Eleanor, she's such a passive character that it's a chore to follow her as she mopes around, killing those close to death, and pining for a mortal boy with a very old-school look (Caleb Landry Jones).

Based on the play by Moira Buffini, this drama centers on two vampires, mother and daughter, who have "lived" side by side for two centuries before their world was thrown into spin by a deadly pact. Gemma Arterton and Saoirse Ronan of star as mother Clara and daughter Eleanor respectively. You can see them in action thanks to the film's international trailer.

While vampires are most definitely complex creatures of fantasy and have evolved greatly over the years (I'm still rather confused about how we went from Dracula to Twilight), but for the most part the monsters have three defining characteristics: they live forever, they're evil suckers who drink blood to survive, and they have incredible powers of temptation.

There is a great deal of under-20 acting talent in Hollywood, particularly in the women category. In recent years we've discovered the incredible talents of young actresses like Hailee Steinfeld, Chloe Moretz, and Dakota Fanning, but not to be ignored in Saoirse Ronan. Appearing on everyone's radar when she earned an Oscar nomination for her performance in Atonement, Ronan has since lent her abilities to such titles as...

Jordan is drastically shifting gears with a vampire thriller, coming off of the lyrical mermaid romance Ondine, with Colin Farrell. Then again, Jordon is nothing if not unpredictable. His last three efforts have been Ondine, the vengeance drama The Brave One with Jodie Foster, and Breakfast on Pluto, which isn’t easy to categorize.

The Oscar winner has signed on for Byzantium, and he’s lining up Saoirse Ronan and Gemma Arterton as his vampire leads. Moira Buffini’s original script tells the story of a mother-daughter team of vampires who sometimes pose as siblings to lure their prey.