I’ll avoid the obligatory joke about a vampire flick lacking bite at the box office, but when Vampire Academy failed to make it past seventh place on opening weekend, with just $4 million upon release and a total worldwide gross of $15 million, chances of a sequel appeared less than likely. However, it turns out that fans of Rachel Mead’s novel series can still make an adaptation of the second book, Frostbite, happen. They’ll just have to stump up the cash for it first.
The producers behind Vampire Academy, hoping to save the franchise, have launched an IndieGoGo campaign asking fans to donate in order to get Frostbite off the ground. According to the campaign page, they have exhausted their resources and successfully raised most of the money for the film’s budget, but financiers want to see fan interest before committing to Frostbite.
So, the campaign is asking for fans to contribute $1,500,000 to the project. At this point (the campaign launched August 6th), $171,717 has been raised, just about 11% of the goal.
On the site, screenwriter Piers Ashworth wrote:
“Writing the screenplay for Frostbite made me realize just how perfect the story is for a movie. It is filled with action and emotion and incredible characters all of whom evolve through the story. I can’t wait to see Adrian’s onscreen introduction… not to mention Natasha and Eddie and Janine. But I think my favorite new character is Isaiah. In this film the Strigoi are really, really scary… and the worst of them, the most powerful, is Isaiah. Immeasurably strong and almost impossible to kill he’s the ultimate bad guy and the perfect opponent for Rose. Because of his existence (and his plan to eradicate the Moroi royal families) there is tension from the very first page. That gives the film an energy and a pace that will keep audiences (even those who have never read the books) on the edge of their seats until the very end.
We have to get this movie made. We have to meet Adrian and understand the new dimension he brings to the story. We have to experience the changes Rose undergoes as she battles the ultimate foe at the same time as coming to terms with her relationships (including the one with her mother). We have to see the battle of wills in the basement – and the surprise of Mia’s use of water magic to incapacitate Isaiah. We have to see the Strigoi for what they really are. Please help make that happen.”
The campaign offers numerous incentives for contributors, ranging from behind-the-scenes updates, photos, signed posters, assorted swag, a PDF of the script, a digital download and more. Bigger incentives for bigger donations include being cast as a background extra, or a visit to the set and a walk-on part with lines (that last one’s already been claimed by one fan for $10,000).
If the money is raised, the producers are planning a two-week shoot in Europe or Australia. No word yet on whether Mark Waters will be returning to direct or which actors are reprising their roles, and I imagine that won’t be confirmed until more money is raised.
Honestly, that the campaign is only at 11% a week after it launched really doesn’t bode well for Frostbite. But we’ll definitely keep you posted as the Vampire Academy team works to make the sequel happen. In the meantime, check out the plot synopsis for the film below and let us know if you’d be interested in seeing it:
Best friends, Rose Hathaway and Lissa Dragomir, have settled back at St. Vladimir’s Academy and have finally gotten a handle on Lissa’s rare Spirit magic and their Shadowkissed bond. With Victor Dashkov behind bars, Rose and Lissa believe their worries are behind them until an alarming rise in Strigoi attacks puts everyone at risk.
Whisked away to a secure mountain lodge for their own safety, the students of St. Vladamir’s are treated to a winter ski vacation while the Guardian’s work to uncover how the Strigoi have learned to disable the magical wards that protect all Moroi dwellings.
Set in the beautiful snow covered mountains of Montana and Idaho, Rose’s relationships and abilities are put to the ultimate test.
