Daybreakers

Daybreakers
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Michael Spierig Peter Spierig
Produced by	Chris Brown Sean Furst Bryan Furst
Written by	Peter Spierig Michael Spierig
Starring	Ethan Hawke Willem Dafoe Claudia Karvan Michael Dorman Sam Neill Vince Colosimo Isabel Lucas
Music by	Christopher Gordon
Cinematography	Ben Nott
Editing by	Matt Villa
Studio	Lionsgate Screen Australia Pictures in Paradise Film Finance Corporation Australia Pacific Film & Television Commission Furst Films
Distributed by	Lionsgate
Release date(s)	11 September 2009 (2009-09-11) (TIFF) 8 January 2010 (2010-01-08) (United States) 4 February 2010 (2010-02-04) (Australia)
Running time	98 minutes
Country	Australia United States
Language	English
Budget	$US20 million[1]
Box office	$US51,416,464

Daybreakers is a 2009 science-fiction horror film written and directed by Australian filmmakers 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 species.

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 $US50 million and received a mixed to positive critical reception.

Plot

In 2019, a plague has transformed 90% of the world's human population into vampires. As the vampires are incapable of aging or dying, but they are unprotected against the UV lights or the sunlight, which is why the whole vampire world is active at night. Human numbers dwindle and the need for blood becomes desperate while an all-out war rages around the world between the surviving humans and vampires despite their efforts. 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.

Due to his refusal to drink human blood, Edward begins to notice signs that he is becoming a subsider. While driving home from work he notices his ears are becoming pointed (a key indicator) by looking at himself in the vanity mirror. Distracted, he almost collides with another car, which swerves to avoid him and hits a power substation. Edward exits his car to check on the passengers of the other vehicle, who we find are a group of humans led by Audrey (Claudia Karvan), who rescues and hides humans from vampire patrols while they attempt to win allies amongst the vampires. Edward lets the group hide in his car as the police arrive, and tells the officers that they ran off in another direction. Audrey then leads the group of humans away, but not before stealing Edward's ID badge. Later, Audrey appears at Edward's home and asks for his help, presumably because of his human sympathies and scientific specialty. He meets Elvis (Willem Dafoe), a man cured of vampirism after a car crash resulted in him being exposed to sunlight before he fell into a river. After some experimentation, Edward is able to duplicate this effect and is cured himself.

When a convoy of humans headed to Audrey's group, they were ambushed by vampire soldiers,although they affect heavy casualties, all were tranquilized and 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, but feeds on her own instead - and thus 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 patrols which found their hideout and 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 remaining 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

• Ethan Hawke as Edward Dalton
• Willem Dafoe as Lionel "Elvis" Cormac
• Sam Neill as Charles Bromley
• Claudia Karvan as Audrey Bennett
• Michael Dorman as Frankie Dalton
• Isabel Lucas as Alison Bromley
• Vince Colosimo as Christopher Caruso
• Robyn Moore as Forensic Investigator Simms
• Jay Laga'aia as Senator Turner

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.^[2] In September 2006, the brothers received financing from Film Finance Corporation Australia, with production set to take place in Queensland.^[3] In May 2007, actor Ethan Hawke was cast into the lead role.^[4] Later in the month, actor Sam Neill joined the cast as the main antagonist. Daybreakers began filming on the Gold Coast at Warner Bros. Movie World studios and in Brisbane on 16 July 2007.^[5] The production budget was $US21 million, with the State Government contributing $US1 million to the filmmakers.^[6] Principal photography was completed on schedule in September 2007, with reshoots following to extend key sequences.^[7]

Weta Workshop created the creature effects for Daybreakers.^[4] 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.^[8]

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.^[8] 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."^[9] The actor also said that despite the serious allegory, the film was "low art" and "completely unpretentious and silly".^[9]

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.

Critical reception

The film currently holds a 67% "fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 132 reviews,^[10] as well as a weighted average score of 57 out of 100 on Metacritic based on 31 reviews.^[11] 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."^[12] 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".^[13] 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."^[14] Richard Roeper gave the film a B+ and called it "a bloody good time."^[15]

Box office

As of October 2010, the box gross was $US51,416,464.^[1] In its opening weekend in the United States, Daybreakers opened at #4 behind Avatar, Sherlock Holmes and Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel with $US15,146,692 in 2,523 theaters, averaging $US6,003 per theater.^[16]

Home media

Daybreakers was released on DVD and Blu-ray in the United States on May 11, 2010 and in the United Kingdom on May 31, 2010.^[17] The UK DVD copy was rated as an 18 instead of the original 15 rating that was used for cinema release. It has been announced that the film will be converted to 3D and 3D Blu-ray will be released in November 2011. ^[18]

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "Daybreakers (2010) – Box Office Mojo". Box Office Mojo. http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=daybreakers.htm. Retrieved 11 December 2010. 
2. ^ "'Day' breaks for Lions Gate, Spierig bros.". The Hollywood Reporter. 4 November 2007. http://login.vnuemedia.com/hr/google/login_subscribe.jsp?id=J%2FJ3UAjKm9AOCPVQIca8efNZZYGqlrrvuIijj9fTJ91Vkxia8cMMLmqOeUhgRqgGjnR6XqR8yp1A%0AFO8Db9xitCx8ZYu0uo7gfZIGnBw3Gu04wFCg6%2FFgeJfwvD5lzkeUPeXDS4qiS67AmvfLWoSQHUdr%0AkhiPhIYxl2mqXBl0bLBZj%2Fs0f6RVSP4mg6HZkt0KUPj8l73vNxH4OgSq9md8g2RMiBPuprm3b6wt%0A0JzCsogYXwq7UjQ%2FGkFxuluMkmhd. Retrieved 23 May 2007. 
3. ^ Michaela Boland (28 September 2006). "Icon takes 'Balloon' sales rights". Variety. http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117950922.html?categoryid=13&cs=1. Retrieved 23 May 2007. 
4. ^ ^{a b} Tatiana Siegel (9 May 2007). "Hawke bites on Lionsgate 'Daybreakers'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 26 May 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20070526061743/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3id3ec9414fe7306f8d7999e5916c94219. Retrieved 23 May 2007. 
5. ^ "Karvan's new job sucks!". Sunday Telegraph. 4 July 2007. http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,22011909-5012980,00.html. Retrieved 9 July 2007. 
6. ^ "Local movie-maker urges more Govt support". ABC News. 13 July 2007. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/07/13/1977576.htm. Retrieved 20 July 2007. 
7. ^ Renee Redmond (10 September 2007). "Hollywood big guns wrap up Daybreaker". Gold Coast. http://www.goldcoast.com.au/article/2007/09/10/2569_gold-coast-news.html. Retrieved 5 October 2007. 
8. ^ ^{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. http://www.aintitcool.com/node/34516. Retrieved 15 March 2010. 
9. ^ ^{a b} Shawn Adler (2 July 2007). "Ethan Hawke Gets Ready To Suck As Vampire Researcher". MTV. http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2007/07/02/ethan-hawke-gets-ready-to-suck-as-vampire-researcher/. Retrieved 3 July 2007. 
10. ^ "Daybreakers (2010)". Rotten Tomatoes. http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/daybreakers/. Retrieved 11 December 2010. 
11. ^ "Daybreakers". Metacritic. http://www.metacritic.com/movie/daybreakers. Retrieved 8 January 2010. 
12. ^ Dennis Harvey (30 September 2009). "Daybreakers Review – Read Variety's Analysis Of The Movie Daybreakers". Variety. http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117941048.html?categoryid=31&cs=1. Retrieved 15 January 2010. 
13. ^ Peter Travers (7 January 2010). "Daybreakers Review". Rolling Stone. http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/reviews/daybreakers-20100107. Retrieved 10 March 2011. 
14. ^ Roger Ebert (6 January 2010). "Daybreakers Review". Chicago Sun-Times. http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100106/REVIEWS/100109987. Retrieved 10 January 2010. 
15. ^ Richard Roeper. "Daybreakers Review". http://www.richardroeper.com/reviews/daybreakers.aspx. Retrieved 11 January 2010. 
16. ^ "Weekly Box Office Chart for Friday, 8 January 2010". The Numbers. http://www.the-numbers.com/charts/weekly/2010/20100108.php. Retrieved 10 January 2010. 
17. ^ "Daybreakers Coming Home to Blu-ray and DVD". DreadCentral.com. http://www.dreadcentral.com/news/36309/daybreakers-coming-home-blu-ray-and-dvd. Retrieved 2011-02-22. 
18. ^ http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Daybreakers-3D-Blu-ray/28369/

External links

• Daybreakers at the Internet Movie Database
• Daybreakers at Rotten Tomatoes
• Daybreakers at Box Office Mojo