Here’s the first online clip of writer/director Matt Reeves‘ Let Me In, the American adaptation of Tomas Alfredson‘s critically acclaimed 2008 Swedish vampire film, Let The Right One In.
Let Me In tells the story of Owen (The Road‘s Kodi Smit-McPhee), a 12-year old boy who is bullied at school and neglected by his divorcing parents. Bored and lonely, he spends his time plotting revenge against his classmates and spying on neighbors in his apartment complex. His only friend is a girl named Abby (Chloe Moretz, fresh from Kick-Ass), who just moved in with her silent father (played by Richard Jenkins). A troubled child herself, Abby only comes outside at night, barefoot and seemingly immune to the elements. The outcast kids open up to each other, and eventually form a close bond.
Alfredson has repeatedly made it clear that he does not approve of an American remake of his film, saying, “remakes should be made of movies that aren’t very good, that gives you the chance to fix whatever has gone wrong. I’m very proud of my movie and I think it’s great, but the Americans might have another opinion. The saddest thing for me would be to see this beautiful story made into something mainstream. I don’t like to whine, but of course – if you spent years on painting a picture, you’d hate to hear buzz about a copy even before your [exhibition]!”
John Ajvide Lindqvist, the author of the 2004 Swedish novel upon which both films are based, however, has said that Reeves told him he “will make a new film based on the book, and not remake the Swedish film,” so “it’ll be something completely different, but it’s going to be really interesting to see.”
As for Reeves (Cloverfield), he has reportedly told his cast to refrain from watching the original film so that “we could make our own version but stay very true to the essence of the story. It’s a terrific movie and a fantastic book. I think it could be a really touching, haunting and terrifying film. I’m really excited about what it could be”
Producer Simon Oakes, on the other hand, has said that there will be at least one difference between the two film versions. “maybe [Let Me In‘s] scares are a little bit more scary,” he told FEARnet. “We’ve been able to ramp that up quite a lot, obviously for budgetary reasons.”
For those of you who haven’t seen the Swedish film or read the book, the clip below might be a little confusing. I couldn’t tell you what’s happening without spoiling parts of the movie, though, and I’m not going to do that. If you’re new to the story, consider yourself lucky to be able to see Let Me In in theaters without prejudice. If you’re a fan of the original, then watch the clip below via their viral site. I’ve also attached a new French poster.
What do you think about the idea of a Let The Right One In remake?