LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL ACTOR DREW INSPIRATION FROM HEATH LEDGER'S JOKER FOR HORROR ROLE
David Dastmalchian, who stars as troubled late-night talk show host Jack Delroy in Late Night with the Devil, says Heath Ledger's Joker inspired his role in the horror film.
"The Cairnes brothers sent me a bunch of footage that they accumulated of Don Lane," Dastmalchian told The Hollywood Reporter. "If you're not familiar with Don Lane, he was the Johnny Carson of Australian television. He was an American who lived in Australia, and he became the host of this huge syndicated talk show. He did this famous interview with Tom Waits, and a lot of people think Heath Ledger took inspiration from it for his portrayal of the Joker. [The likelihood of shared inspiration] is pretty cool, and it's also the cyclical nature of being a storyteller and the strange path that it's followed," Dastmalchian added of the shared inspiration between his character and Ledger's Batman villain.
Cult Classic 80s Horror Movie Headed Back to Hollywood with New Reboot Trilogy
One of the most unusual cult classic comedy horrors of the 80s is slated to return with a whole new trilogy.Late Night with the Devil hit theaters after receiving high praise from Stephen King and earning a perfect 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes in its initial reviews. Despite landing in the sixth spot at the weekend box office, the film brought in $2.8 million, with $666,666 earned on March 24 alone. This marks a record-breaking achievement for the horror film, which holds the title for the best opening weekend ever for an IFC Films release, surpassing the previous record set by Watcher in 2022.
Late Night with the Devil Faced Some Controversy
The positive reviews likely helped boost attendance for Late Night with the Devil. Before its release, the film experienced some controversy on social media because of the brief use of AI-generated artwork. Directors Cameron and Colin Cairnes have since apologized for the decision and detailed the specific ways in which AI was used in conjunction with the graphics and production design team, who worked to give this film its 70s aesthetic.
'Still a Topic of Discussion': Sydney Sweeney Addresses Immaculate's Bodily Autonomy Themes
Immaculate star Sydney Sweeney discusses the extensive development of the psychological horror film and its thought-provoking themes.Set in the 1970s, Late Night with the Devil follows talk show host Jack Delroy, who hopes to make television history with a live broadcast on Halloween night. His guests for the evening include paranormal experts and a girl who claims to be possessed by the Devil. However, the special eventually takes a horrific turn. Colin Cairnes and Cameron Cairnes wrote and directed the film. Along with Dastmalchian, the cast includes Laura Gordon, Ian Bliss, Fayssal Bazzi, Ingrid Torelli, Rhys Auteri, Georgina Haig, and Josh Quong Tart.
Late Night with the Devil is playing in theaters and will be available to stream on Shudder starting on April 19.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
Late Night With the Devil
A live television broadcast in 1977 goes horribly wrong, unleashing evil into the nation's living rooms.