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Daybreakers

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Daybreakers
Theatrical release poster
Directed byMichael Spierig
Peter Spierig
Written byPeter Spierig
Michael Spierig
Produced byChris Brown[1]
Sean Furst
Bryan Furst
StarringEthan Hawke
Willem Dafoe
Claudia Karvan
Sam Neill
Michael Dorman
Isabel Lucas
CinematographyBen Nott
Edited byMatt Villa
Music byChristopher Gordon
Distributed byLionsgate
Release dates
11 September 2009 (2009-09-11) (TIFF)
8 January 2010
(United States)
4 February 2010 (Australia)
Running time
98 minutes
CountriesAustralia
United States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$20 million[2]
Box office$48,895,051

Daybreakers is a 2010 science fiction horror film written and directed by Michael and Peter Spierig. The film takes place in 2019, where a plague has turned most of the planet's human population into vampires. A vampiric corporation sets out to capture and farm the remaining humans while researching a blood substitute. Lead vampire hematologist Edward Dalton's (Ethan Hawke) work is interrupted by human survivors led by former vampire "Elvis" (Willem Dafoe), who has a cure that can save the human race.

Daybreakers premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and was released in the United Kingdom on 6 January 2010 and in North America on 8 January 2010. The film grossed over $40,000,000 and received a mixed critical reception.

Plot

By 2019, a pandemic disease has turned most of the world's human population into vampires. As human numbers dwindle, the need for blood becomes desperate. When deprived of blood for extended periods, vampires degenerate into subsiders, aggressive bat-like creatures. Humans are captured and harvested in laboratory farms while scientists research a synthetic blood substitute to satisfy vampires' blood hunger. The main supplier of blood in the United States is the pharmaceutical company Bromley Marks, run by Charles Bromley (Sam Neill). Edward Dalton (Ethan Hawke) and Chris Caruso (Vince Colosimo) are hematologists working on the blood substitute. Under pressure from Charles, they try multiple versions in a series of failing clinical trials. Edward secretly refuses to drink human blood and faces a strained relationship with his brother, Frankie (Michael Dorman), a human-hunting soldier.

A covert group of humans led by Audrey (Claudia Karvan) rescues and hides humans from vampire patrols while they attempt to win allies amongst the vampires. Audrey contacts Edward because of his human sympathies and scientific specialty. He meets Elvis (Willem Dafoe), a man cured of vampirism by brief exposure to sunlight while being thrown into water. After some experimentation, Edward is able to duplicate this effect and is cured himself.

When a convoy of humans headed to Audrey’s group is captured by Bromley soldiers, Charles is reunited with his human daughter, Alison (Isabel Lucas) and has her forcibly turned by Frankie. She refuses to drink human blood, and begins to turn into a subsider. She is killed when a group of the creatures are rounded up and executed. Witnessing Alison’s death upsets Frankie and he seeks out his brother.

Edward, Elvis, and Audrey meet with Chris and ask him to help spread the cure. However, Chris has finally discovered a viable blood substitute and does not want a cure to become widespread. He calls in a vampire patrol who captures Audrey while Elvis and Edward escape into hiding. They are finally found by Frankie who agrees to help but is gradually becoming a subsider. He attacks Elvis and they discover that feeding on a former vampire is another cure for vampirism.

Edward turns himself in and goads Charles into attacking him. Edward uses the now-cured Charles to cure a group of soldiers experiencing the beginning of subsider aggression. Edward and Audrey, cornered by more soldiers, are rescued when Frankie sacrifices himself to the soldiers. This sparks a feeding frenzy that leaves all of the soldiers dead or cured. They are confronted by Chris, who kills the few cured soldiers to hide the evidence of the cure. Elvis arrives and rescues Edward and Audrey by killing Chris. The three survivors then drive away into the sunrise with a voice-over by Edward stating that they have a cure and can change others back.

Cast

Production

In November 2004, Lionsgate acquired the script to Daybreakers, written by Peter and Michael Spierig. The brothers, who directed Undead (2003), were attached to direct Daybreakers.[3] In September 2006, the brothers received financing from Film Finance Corporation Australia, with production set to take place in Queensland.[4] In May 2007, actor Ethan Hawke was cast into the lead role.[5] Later in the month, actor Sam Neill joined the cast as the main antagonist. Daybreakers began filming in Gold Coast, Queensland at Warner Bros. Movie World studios and Brisbane, Queensland on 16 July 2007.[6] The production budget was $21 million, with the State Government contributing $1 million to the filmmakers.[7] Principal photography was completed on schedule in September 2007, with reshoots following to extend key sequences.[8]

Weta Workshop created the creature effects for Daybreakers.[5] The Spierig brothers wanted the vampires in the film to have a classical aesthetic to them while feeling like a more contemporary interpretation. After experimenting with complex makeup designs, they decided that a more minimalistic approach to makeup had a more powerful effect.[9]

Hawke was initially hesitant to join the production as he was "not a big fan" of genre films. He ultimately accepted the role as Edward after deciding the story felt "different" to that of a typical B movie.[9] Hawke described the film as an allegory of man's pacing with natural resources, "We're eating our own resources so people are trying to come up with blood substitutes, trying to get us off of foreign humans."[10] The actor also said that despite the serious allegory, the film was "low art" and "completely unpretentious and silly".[10]

Release

Daybreakers premiered on 11 September 2009 at the 34th Annual Toronto International Film Festival. The film was released on 6 January 2010 in the UK and Ireland, 8 January 2010 in North America, and 4 February 2010 in Australia. The US DVD and Blu-Ray release is set for 11 May 2010.[11] The DVD copy was released in the UK on the 31st of May 2010. The DVD copy was rated as an 18 instead of the original 15 rating that was used for cinema release.

Critical reception

The film currently holds a 67% "fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 118 reviews,[12] as well as a weighted average score of 57 out of 100 on Metacritic based on 31 reviews.[13] Variety gave the film a mixed review stating the film had a "cold, steely blue, black and gray 'Matrix'-y look" going on to say Daybreakers "emerges as a competent but routine chase thriller that lacks attention-getting dialogue, unique characters or memorable setpieces that might make it a genre keeper rather than a polished time-filler."[14] Rolling Stone gave the film two and a half out of four stars and called the film a B movie and a "nifty genre piece".[15] Roger Ebert also gave the film two and a half stars stating the "intriguing premise ... ends as so many movies do these days, with fierce fights and bloodshed."[16] Richard Roeper gave the film a B+ and called it "a bloody good time."[17]

Box office

In its opening weekend in the United States, Daybreakers opened at #4 behind Avatar, Sherlock Holmes and Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel with $15,146,692 in 2,523 theaters, averaging $6,003 per theater.[18] As of March 2010, the gross totaled $30,101,577 in the United States and $47,839,461 worldwide.[2]

References

  1. ^ http://www.wetanz.com/daybreakers-2010/
  2. ^ a b "Daybreakers (2010) – Box Office Mojo". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 22 March 2010.
  3. ^ "'Day' breaks for Lions Gate, Spierig bros". The Hollywood Reporter. 4 November 2007. Retrieved 23 May 2007.
  4. ^ Michaela Boland (28 September 2006). "Icon takes 'Balloon' sales rights". Variety. Retrieved 23 May 2007.
  5. ^ a b Tatiana Siegel (9 May 2007). "Hawke bites on Lionsgate 'Daybreakers'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 23 May 2007.
  6. ^ "Karvan's new job sucks!". Sunday Telegraph. 4 July 2007. Retrieved 9 July 2007.
  7. ^ "Local movie-maker urges more Govt support". ABC News. 13 July 2007. Retrieved 20 July 2007.
  8. ^ Renee Redmond (10 September 2007). "Hollywood big guns wrap up Daybreaker". Gold Coast. Retrieved 5 October 2007.
  9. ^ a b "Quint has your first look at the Spierig Bros' new film, DAYBREAKERS, as well as a chat with the directors!!!". Ain't It Cool News. 22 October 2007. Retrieved 15 March 2010.
  10. ^ a b Shawn Adler (2 July 2007). "Ethan Hawke Gets Ready To Suck As Vampire Researcher". MTV. Retrieved 3 July 2007.
  11. ^ Daybreakers Coming Home to Blu-ray and DVD
  12. ^ "Daybreakers (2010)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 19 February 2010.
  13. ^ "Daybreakers". Metacritic. Retrieved 8 January 2010.
  14. ^ Dennis Harvey (30 September 2009). "Daybreakers Review – Read Variety's Analysis Of The Movie Daybreakers". Variety. Retrieved 15 January 2010.
  15. ^ Peter Travers (7 January 2010). "Daybreakers Review". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 10 January 2010.
  16. ^ Roger Ebert (6 January 2010). "Daybreakers Review". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 10 January 2010.
  17. ^ Richard Roeper. "Daybreakers Review". Retrieved 11 January 2010.
  18. ^ "Weekly Box Office Chart for Friday, 8 January 2010". The Numbers. Retrieved 10 January 2010.
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