WELCOME TO FRIGHT NIGHT: An Interview with Imogen Poots

Behind many a vampire is the reincarnation of a lost love that he pursues in the present. This was true of the original Fright Night, and one has to wonder if it’s part of the remake as well. One thing that is certain is that the character of Amy Peterson, played by Amanda Bearse back in 1985, is being portrayed by actress Imogen Poots, whose credits include Jane Eyre, 28 Weeks Later and Solitary Man.
   In the film, Amy is the girlfriend of Charlie Brewster (Anton Yelchin), who she dearly loves – even after he develops an unhealthy obsession with his neighbor, Jerry Dandridge (Colin Farrell), who he comes to believe is a vampire. Naturally it isn’t long before she comes to realize that Charlie isn't crazy as she finds herself turned into a pawn by Dandridge as a means of torturing him.
    In the following exclusive interview, Imogen Poots reflects on the making of the film and her portrayal of Amy Peterson. This is a first in a series of Fright Night-related articles that will appear on VFK until the film’s August 19th release.

VOICES FROM KRYPTON: Congrats on this film. I saw the footage at Comic-Con and it looks pretty amazing!
IMOGEN POOTS: Thank you. I’m really excited about it.
VOICES FROM KRYPTON: So tell me about your excitement. What is it about the project that you find so exciting?
IMOGEN POOTS: I think it’s very much a reimagining of the original and I think it’s an interesting idea to explore, bringing a newer interpretation to a modern audience. And I’m excited about it, because I think it goes back to the original concept of the vampire and what that means in terms of being a predator and the monster behind it, rather than the personification of something melodramatic and romantic. I was looking forward to getting back to the original concept.
VOICES FROM KRYPTON: And you assure me there won’t be any sparkling vampires?
IMOGEN POOTS: No sparkles here. Only in their eyes.
VOICES FROM KRYPTON: That would actually make a great T-shirt, “No Sparkles Here… Fright Night” [both laugh]… Did Amanda Bearse’s portrayal of Amy influence you at all or did you want to go in a completely different direction?
IMOGEN POOTS: I definitely watched Amanda Bearse’s performance, but I very much wanted to embody Amy with my own heartbeat and ideas. I also wanted to fulfill this kind of duality of being the innocent and collaborator and partner in crime with Charlie, while at the same time being capable of killing vampires and ultimately going through that process of becoming sexualized, which is what happens.

VOICES FROM KRYPTON: Is there an opportunity then to create these two distinct Amys, basically?
IMOGEN POOTS: Yes, and it was really cool to go two places in the same role and really form the antithesis of Amy and work out what the vampire was going to do to propel her to that sexualized level she goes to. That was really interesting and something I really enjoyed, for sure.
VOICES FROM KRYPTON: There’s an intriguing moment in the original Fright Night where Amy first meets Jerry and there’s this sort of instant connection between them. Did you guys go for something similar in this version?
IMOGEN POOTS: I think when they first meet, it’s an inexplicable draw, for sure, and I think that’s the point of the vampire being taken back to its original concept as a predator. It’s this highly sexualized being who has the ability to seduce anyone and anything, and even in that moment there’s an energy or aura about that which has the ability to draw someone in and to which you have no defense. I think that’s what makes it such an interesting concept.
VOICES FROM KRYPTON: When you read the script, what kind of person was Amy and what do you think you were able to bring to her?
IMOGEN POOTS: I think she came across as being very strong and at the same time and at ease with herself. In this film Charlie is going on this journey of self discovery and figuring out what’s important to him, but with Amy she’s someone who’s very secure in her own skin. In terms of what I wanted to bring to the character, it was really this essential partner in crime figure with Charlie. Craig Gillespie, the director, comes from such a human background in terms of his previous work, that I knew that he would bring something very special to this commercial beast of a film, because he cared about the characters.
VOICES FROM KRYPTON: How would you describe the relationship between Amy and Charlie? Is it teenage love, something deeper than that?
IMOGEN POOTS: I think she adores him; she’s so fond of Charlie because it’s that whole geek chic idea that exists so profoundly and prominently in London, for sure, where somebody is just wonderful to be around. She loves being around Charlie and I think that their dynamic is special because they complement one another in terms of diversity. It was really a matter of working that out with Anton, who is now one of my closest friends in the states. It was a real joy to explore that with him.
   Fright Night opens on August 19th.