All the actors playing vampires were required to hang upside down for up to thirty minutes at a time during the make-up application. This would force all the blood in their bodies to rush to their heads, causing the blood vessels in their faces to bulge out. The make up artists would then trace over the swollen veins creating the eerie translucent-skinned vampire look. Unfortunately for the actors, they would have to repeat the process several times over, as the blood would quickly drain from their heads. This, in part, accounts for the lengthy make-up process.
Tom Cruise was placed on an elevated platform during some scenes to reduce the height difference between his character and other vampires.
In the book, the reason why Louis becomes depressed in the beginning of the movie is because he feels guilty about the death of his brother; not because he had a wife and child that died. In fact, he never had a wife in the book version.
In an article released in September 2011, Brad Pitt revealed that he had a miserable experience while making this film. He complained of discomfort while wearing his costumes and colored contacts and being forced to play second fiddle to Tom Cruise, both on screen and off. He said at one point he called his friend and producer David Geffen and begged him for a way out. Learning that there was no way, he toughed it out for the remaining months.
Johnny Depp was offered the role of Lestat.
Kirsten Dunst shared her first on-screen kiss in this film with Brad Pitt, even though there was an 18-year age difference between them. In a subsequent interview, she revealed the scene had made her uncomfortable. She remarked: "I thought it was gross, that Brad had cooties. I mean, I was 12."
Christian Slater was given the role of Daniel upon the death of River Phoenix, who was originally supposed to be Daniel. Slater donated his $250,000 salary to two of Phoenix' favorite charities.
Author Anne Rice wrote the original part of Lestat for the 1976 novel with Rutger Hauer in mind. The rights to the novel were optioned by Paramount for $150,000 before the book was first published. John Travolta was then earmarked to play Lestat but Dracula (1979), Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht (1979), and Love at First Bite (1979) put the project into turnaround. By the time a movie was to be filmed, Hauer and Travolta had become too old to portray the ever-young vampire. Upon learning that Tom Cruise had been cast, she was quite disappointed and expressed concern that Cruise could not carry the part. After attending a screening, Rice wrote a letter of apology, quite pleased with Cruise's portrayal.
A gay subtext to the novel was omitted from the film; Lestat expects Louis to sleep with him; Lestat, Louis (and later Claudia) are a perverse family with Lestat as the father, Louis as the mother and Claudia as their daughter, etc. Anne Rice mentions "stone walls" in the novel, which could be an oblique reference to the gay rights movement of the same name.
Louis describes Claudia as five years old in the novel, but Kirsten Dunst was 12 years old at the time of filming.
Tom Cruise wanted a private set, and hence tunnels were built to escort the actors to and from the set. This was done so that the vampire's makeup effects would remain a secret.
Kirsten Dunst later starred in the music video 'I Knew I Loved You' by Savage Garden, a band which took its name from the same Anne Rice novel series.
Author Anne Rice was so pleased with this adaptation that she took out a two page ad in both Vanity Fair and the New York Times endorsing it as "a masterpiece".
Stephen Rea studied French comedy and pantomime to prepare for his role as Santiago. The scene in which he dances up the tunnel wall and ceiling was inspired by Fred Astaire's famous scene in Royal Wedding (1951).
Although the reporter gets a name in the film (Daniel Malloy), in the novel he's just known as "the boy"; he was also younger than Christian Slater. The book also refers to Louis as "the vampire" in the interview scenes.
Although the screen credits read "Screenplay by Anne Rice based on her novel", the script was actually heavily rewritten by director Neil Jordan. Writers Guild rules meant that Rice got credit.
Many buildings and street lights were darkened for the filming by agreement with the companies and the city. The set was immediately torn down after the filming.
The first film production to be given permission to close down two lanes of traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge.
Christina Ricci, Dominique Swain, Julia Stiles, Erin Moore and Evan Rachel Wood auditioned for the role of Claudia.
At one point in development, the role of Louis was re-written to be a female character and Cher and Anjelica Huston were considered to play this role.
Stephen Dorff was considered for the role of Daniel Malloy.
In the trailer, Lestat says to Louis, "You're a vampire who never knew what life was until it ran out in a red gush over your lips" as he takes the goblet with the trollop's blood to Louis. For some reason, this line was cut from the film.
The character Lestat's full name is Lestat de Lioncourt. He was based on Anne Rice's husband Stan Rice, and even given Stan Rice's birthday of 7 November.
The estate of Louis (Brad Pitt) in the beginning of the film was the historic Oak Alley Plantation located on the Mississippi River in Vacherie, Louisiana, which is near New Orleans. The plantation's "guest book" is on display and was signed by Pitt and Tom Cruise.
Tom Cruise prepped for the role of Lestat by watching videos of lions attacking zebras in the wild.
There's a scene towards the end of the movie where Louis is watching Superman (1978) in a cinema. This scene doesn't appear in the novel because the book was written in 1976, two years before the film was made.
The scenes set on the riverfront in New Orleans (including the infamous "Chat Noir") were filmed on a false front built on the levee downriver from the actual French Quarter. The entire set was constructed around the old section of Jackson Barracks, a National Guard post.
Louis claims not to be broody in the novel, but he is in the film; allegedly Brad Pitt didn't have a happy time making the film.
John Malkovich, Peter Weller, Alexander Godunov and Brad Pitt were considered for the role of Lestat at various points of development.
Jeremy Irons turned down the part of Lestat as he didn't want to play another character that required hours in the make-up chair, coming off the back of The House of the Spirits (1993).
Tom Cruise spent 3 and a half hours every day in the make-up chair.
Oprah Winfrey stormed out of the premiere during the first reel, disgusted by the amount of blood in the film.
Claudia cries tears of blood in the novel; the vampires in True Blood (2008) can do the same.
The Old Coliseum Theatre in New Orleans, seen when Louis goes to see Tequila Sunrise (1988) in 1988, burned down on 3 February 2006.
Louis is 200 years old in the film, but in the novel he's 185 years old. The age difference was to tie in with when the film was set.
Anne Rice mentions Marie Antoinette in the novel; Kirsten Dunst later played her in the film of the same name.
Christian Slater had to have his shooting schedule for Murder in the First (1995) be reworked to allow him to appear in the film.
Lestat hires a painter to decorate Claudia's room with unicorns; this hearkens back to Tom Cruise's role in the fantasy film Legend (1985).
While the production was filming in London, Brad Pitt stayed in a house which used to be owned by Peter Cushing.
When Lestat dances with the corpse of Claudia's mother, he says "there's still life in the old lady yet". He never says this in the novel.
The river scenes were done by removing such modern items as the Greater New Orleans Bridge and radio towers and replacing them with 18th century sailing vessels in post-production. The sailing vessels on the set were Alexandria and Gazela.
After Claudia drinks blood for the first time, she says she wants some more twice in the film, but only says it once in the novel.
Heathcote Williams was going to be in this film but was replaced
Director Trademark
Neil Jordan:
[Stephen Rea]
Rea, who plays Santiago, makes regular appearances in Jordan's films.
Spoilers
An animatronic Lestat was used during the shot where Lestat is bleeding on the floor, after having had his throat cut by Claudia.
It is stated in the books that the vampires (according to Anne Rice) shed blood tears, as all their body fluids are replaced with blood. In the film, however (e.g. when Louis remembers Claudia's death), they are normal human tears.
The original novel includes a scene where Lestat appears in the tunnels under the Theater des Vampires in Paris, to confront Louis immediately after Claudia's death. This scene was filmed with Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt, but was cut from the final film.
