LIVE CHAT with our director GARY SHORE on DRACULA UNTOLD March 6th 2015

Gary: Hello everybody! Nice to chat to you today about all things DraculaUntold . Send over your questions, I'll be here for the next two hours.

I will try answer all your questions and answer those questions some of you sent in before now. #AskGaryShore

First up though before we start, a huge thank you to all of you who have been supportive of the film, this belongs to you.

*** LukeEvansRussia: Would you like to work with Luke again? Is there any project in which you see Luke,perhaps the screen adaptation of some book?

Gary: I would cut off my right arm to work with Luke again. He is going to be one of the greatest of his generation. Nothing in the pipeline just yet, but will hopefully downstream.

*** Steffanie: Hello! How can Vlad walk in sunlight at the end of DU? What happened to him?

Gary: Haha... that was unintentional. We shot on a very sunny day, hoping it would be cloudy. Budget didn't allow for a night shoot. We were planning on making day look like night, which is a trick as old as film-making itself, but you need cloudy weather

Daciana: or maybe he found a daylight ring?? :-)

Dracula Untold Italia *** Patricia: what was the one thing that decided to you choose to do this movie

Gary: I loved the original ending, so downbeat. It was also a chance to tell the story of one of history's most notorious anti-heroes.

Patricia: yes and then the travel to modern times gave it endless possibilities! Loved that. Thank you Gary!

*** Steffanie: What was the most embarrassing, funniest moment while shooting the movie? Any faux pas or accident?

Gary: It wasn't really that kind of film... I just remember being under pressure all the time to make my day. Few bones got broke...and bruised but I don't think the people it happened to would have found it very funny!

*** Mia: How much research did you do for DU? Travel to former Walachia? Read Bram Stoker's Dracula?

Gary: I traveled to Walachia before hand, read all the books I could on the real Vlad and any other relevant material on Dracula.

*** Zony-Chan: Is there any sourcebook for Vlad & Mirena's wedding poem? :)

Gary: Yes, the poet is Rumi http://www.khamush.com/life&death.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rumi

*** DraculaUntold Italia: What is the scene that you regret not having insert or included in #DraculaUntold 's movie.

Gary: Baba Yaga and the death of the young boys at the end of the movie. The first couldn't because of script changes, the second because the studio refused to have it in there.

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Blanka: Who was costume author for Luke Evans? #AskGaryShore

Gary: Ngila Dickson, Oscar winner for Lord of The Rings, and all round genius.

Blanka: thank you your answer. All costumes were gorgeous , but dragon's armour and royal outfit for Vlad was absolutly amazing !

Gary: I was very disappointed the studio didn't give the film a push when it came to Oscar contention in technical categories. Costume, cinematography, production design, sound design, hair and make-up, and score should have got more recognition.

Steffanie: As a Fashion Designer I loved the costumes! Will they be on display anywhere? Universal maybe? #AskGaryShore

Jessica: agreed ! This movie deserved it ! Specially the "bat transformation" just splendid! Patricia: extremely disappointing. The costumes were stunning! Patricia: did you get to keep a prop from set? I think Luke said he got his sword

Gary: They deserve to be, though again, this was a relatively small movie for Universal, they would need a reason

Amanda: Costumes were amazing Blanka: I disapponted too, this bad arguments for assessment work. Movie is perfect, historic drama.

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*** MrLukeGorgeous: Is there a possibility to see Baba Yaga's character come back for a sequel? Her scenes were great ! draculauntolditalia Gary: If they made a sequel and I was directing, i would insist on it.

*** MrLukeGorgeous: If U could choose a period. What would it be? What about Vlad samurai or in French Revolution to give french lines to Luke :)

Gary: Russian Revolution.

*** MrLukeGorgeous: In a interview Luke Evans shared some ideas about the sequel. He said what if Vlad meet Bram Stoker? What do You think?

Gary: That's an interesting idea, I've never seen that before!

*** Mia: Hello! Is there any talk about coming out with any DU merchandise besides the promo items? Thank you

Gary: I really hope they do. But that's up to the studio. They will if the demand is there. It just takes a toy maker to approach.

*** Midori: Tell me something new about Dumitru <3 <3

Gary: We cut a scene between him and Vlad... a kind of Bromance... "There's something different about you, I like it!'

*** LukeEvansGER: How was for you personally the collaboration with Luke and Sarah ? #AskGaryShore

Gary: I love them both as people and artists. I couldn't have been more fortunate.

*** SarahGadonES: How was working with Sarah? Would you like work with her again even if it's not in a Dracula sequel? ^^

Gary: I would love to work with Sarah again, Dracula or otherwise. She is superb at her craft and a gem to be around.

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*** Mia: What brought you to Horror movies and could you ever see yourself directing a comedy or romance?

Gary: I have the utmost respect for comedy directors and writers, done well it is the hardest genre of all. It's not my natural fit

Mia: Thank you! Love your answer! Any projects in sight after @holidays_movie yet? Looking forward to more from you! #AskGaryShore

Gary: I've a couple of things i like, but nothing I'm ready to report just yet. Soon enough though.

*** Luke-Evans.Info: The most vivid memory of some moment of filming? #AskGaryShore

Gary: My most cherished memory in the process was recording with an 80 piece orchestra in @AIRStudios Just magical...

*** Amanda Will we see a Directors cut released ? Gary: - No plans to, the script changes were to many to make the version I shot work.

Q: Was there any consideration to make the film more bloody? A: No, the studio was adamant, they would not make an R movie. Q: I think expectations are high for any material that has been interpreted this often. Its clearly been left open for a sequel, is this likely to happen? A: never say never, but from my point of view, not likely for now. The studio would have indicated by now if they wanted to.

*** MoustacheLuke: Gary..... What was the name of the Forrest that you used "Quite a bit"? #DraculaUntold

Gary: Tollymore Forest!

*** Clairelahuxley: I've listened to the soundtrack so many times my fav is “this life and the next”. What is yours? draculauntolditalia

Gary: Mine is ‘I will come Again’

*** Patricia: would you rather do a period piece or a modern one? Which is your favorite? #AskGaryShore

Gary: I'm a sucker for the old days... I'm quite a sentimentalist.

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*** Luke-Evans.Info: Which scenes in film were the hardest ones? And what of them required a lot of takes?

Gary: I like to do a lot of takes but most of the time the schedule didn't allow it. Hardest to shoot was probably the river, Vlad waking up... Luke spent 12 hours in cold water... and it was our first day!

*** Patricia: as a young boy, where you ever interested in vampires?

Gary: Bram Stoker was born and grew up just down the road from my home in Dublin. We used to visit his house every Halloween, it made an impression on me from a very young age.

*** LukeEvansItaly: are there other unpublished extras about DraculaUntold ?

Gary: Here is some never before seen concept art I created for the pitch.

*** Natasha: why Dracula Year Zero title got cancelled???

Gary: Universal marketing thought the audience wasn't going to understand the concept of 'year zero'.

***

Dracula Untold Italia: Tell us something about the soundtrack? The music in some scenes was perfect and indispensable.

Gary: The soundtrack was a difficult process for me. I'm a trained classical musician, I listen to soundtracks all the time, I...... thought it was going to be a piece of cake... how wrong I was. Music is so subjective. The genius of a composer like Ramin Djawadi is taking a visual and creating a feeling. 50% of the experience. He did a wonderful job.

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*** Patricia: can you tell us about the day Sarah and Luke spent "making out" She tweeted about it :)

Gary: Did she?! The rascal! I don't know, I was probably too busy asking them to perform to camera and spoiling the mood.

*** MrLukeGorgeous: What about a Dracula film Musical? Luke Evans can sing and it's an orignal idea for a sequel :)

Gary: Hahaha... please, you guys need to give me some song titles. How about ... Every Story has A Silver Lining?

*** LukeEvansItaly: how do u feel to be the first director of the new movie mythical current of Universal? :)

Gary: I can say with a certain smugness, I was the first... ;)

*** draculauntolditalia Blanka: thank you your answer. All costumes were gorgeous , but dragon's armour and royal outfit for Vlad was absolutly amazing !

Gary: I was very disappointed the studio didn't give the film a push when it came to Oscar contention in technical categories. Costume, cinematography, production design, sound design, hair and make-up, and score should have got more recognition.

*** LukeEvansGER: Whether were the funny incidents or dangerous moments on the set? #AskGaryShore

Gary: Diarmaid Murtagh playing Dimitru, saying the line "There's something different about you, I like it!"... the crew printed t-shirts.

*** LillyNikitaEvans: What was the most emotional moment during filming? #AskGaryShore

Gary: The final day. I felt like i had run a marathon and was sorry to say goodbye.

*** Patricia: how did you celebrate when you found out you got the job for #DraculaUntold ? #AskGaryShore Gary: Called my Dad.

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*** MrLukeGorgeous: in Dracula Untold Luke's dad have a small cameo. Who have the idea? You, Luke or his dad himself?

Gary: Luke asked that his Dad be an extra, it's a tradition for them, and I asked him to say a line or two... wonderful man but he soon learned his son's job wasn't that easy!

*** MrLukeGorgeous: Did Luke Evans ask you some advice for directing bc he wants to make films himself one day? Have you talk about directing ?

Gary: Luke will direct one day, he has the hunger, heart and technical knowledge to do whatever he sets his mind to.

*** GARY: Here is never before seen concept art I created myself when I went in to pitch on the film. Back then the title was Dracula Year Zero... which I thought was far superior to the one we ended up with. draculauntolditalia

More Dracula Untold concept art, this was inspired by the famous war photo of the flag being raised on Iwo Jima

*** Dracula Untold Italia: Can you reveal something about the sequel? We know that the authors are at work. Dracula Untold Italia

Gary: Then you know more than I do...

*** Gary: Hey Paul, that was Caligula's Brood. Here's some concept art of what that escape might have looked

*** MrLukeGorgeous: Sarah Gadon is the only female character. What about more female characters for the sequel? A female villain please :)

Gary: Baba Yaga was representing, but unfortunately that didn't last. I'd love to see her back and played by Samantha Barks

*** Dracula Untold Italia: How were the locations? There was some difficult moment?

Gary: months, which is to say pretty difficult for Transport logistics, but in terms of comfort, i don't care, I'm only focused on what's on my monitor. Everybody gets on with it.

*** Karla: What was your first exposure to the Dracula characters as a kid?

Gary: I found a copy of Bram Stokers novel in my school library at age 8. "Ahh I thought, that's where the Count on Sesamee Street...

*** Rina: Was it your idea or Mr Dance's to make the master vampire like Max Schreck's Nosferatu? I loved it bc Nosferatu is my favorite.

Gary: I wanted to make him like Nosferatu, a fucked up kind of medieval baby nurse.

Steffanie: was he really supposed to be Caligula originally as a human?#AskGaryShore

Gary: Charles wasn't playing Caligula. We scrapped that idea and decided to make him the origin of Vlad's species Dracula Untold Italia

*** Ferdinand Kingsley: Who was your favourite out of me and Ferdie?

Gary: Haha... I need to correct, my favorite scene to shoot was actually with Ferdinand in the Great Hall... powerhouse performance.

[Ferdinand as Hamza Bey in Dracula Untold]

*** Jessica Cohen: how was to worked with the amazing Charles Dance ! ?

Gary: Terrifying. But wonderful to work with. He got tired of me asking him questions about Alien 3 and working with Fincher :).

*** Natasha: Luke haven't said any dialogue in the film with fangs on. Is this gonna continue for sequel also?

Gary: Yeah, dialog with the fake fangs is crap for performance. But Luke has natural fangs, so no worry there!

***

LukeEvansGER: Luke and Dominic are old friends, how was filming with them together especially the battle scene at the end ? #AskGaryShore

Gary: The scene was a pain in the ass... they would tell you that too. Not enough time and too small, not to mention a floor of silver coins... an accident waiting to happen. Luke got a hit of a sword in the eye and nearly lost it. Not very pleasant.

*** Rina: After asking Luke this question I'd love to know which vampire movie is your favorite?

Gary: I loved William Defoe in Shadow of a Vampire... Bill Paxton in After Dark, and Oldman in Coppola's Dracula

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Patricia: did Luke have any input on how he shot his action scenes?

Gary: Not in terms of placing the camera, but he was so good at hitting his marks, he'd need to know every exact detail. So there was no grey areas and interpretation.

*** Jessica Cohen: have you noticed in # 47ronin and Dracula Untold the design of the "introduction" are the same ?

Gary: I never watched the other, but we did borrow some of their aerial photography plates from the studio library!

*** Dracula Untold Italia: last question, what are "your" next projects?

Gary: No feature to announce yet. But will take part in a short anthology soon @holidays_movie

*** Gary: Ok everybody, thanks for joining me today, and thanks for the incredible support. The DraculaUntold was a success because of your support. I'm going to clock off now, I need to sign out and say good night, good day, and good morning, depending where you are in the world! Slán!

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