Overture Films then came on to co-finance and distribute, which seemed to give the project a boost until the company was thrown into disarray this summer. Relativity's partial acquisition of Overture put the release back on track.
Although the newcomers were enthusiastic, not everyone involved with the original thought an English-language version was a good idea. Reeves struck up a correspondence with Lindqvist, but Alfredson maintained his distance.
The director's representatives declined several requests for an interview for this story, but one associate of Alfredson's who asked not to be identified because of sensitivities over the remake said, "His basic thought was, 'My movie said everything there was to say. Why do we need another one?' " Alfredson has yet to see the new film.
Like Alfredson, Reeves tears down assumptions about vampires, which as of late have been portrayed as romantic, glamorous and even powerful figures. In "Let Me In," they're simply vagabonds who live in a constant state of primitive survival.
"It's probably the only vampire movie where you learn that you don't want to be a vampire. You're always on the run; you have no money. Could it be any more depressing?" deadpans Jenkins. "If there's a moral to the story, it's don't get bit."
steve.zeitchik@latimes.com
