the dracula-horror movie inspired The invitation (formerly known as Girlfriend) is now in theaters and just opened at #1 at the national box office with a weekend gross of $7 million. Our own Chris Bumbray was surprised at how gory the movie was for something rated PG-13, and mentioned it to director Jessica M. Thompson (the light of the moon) during an interview, which you can see in the video embedded above. Thompson said they had to darken the blood to get by with a PG-13…but during an interview with our friends at Bloody Disgusting, he also said there’s an R-rated cut of The invitation that’s going to have a streaming release!
thompson said,
I am someone who thinks that you lose the tension as soon as you reveal your monster. I feel like the longer you can hold it, the better. So there’s still that mystery, but I will say there’s a little more gore. There’s a little more blood. There is a bit more swearing and the sex scene is quite a bit longer. These are all the fun things we can do with our R-rated version.”
Thompson directed The invitation from a script by Blair Butler, who originally pitched the project. Butler’s previous credits include Polaroid Y Helstrom. Thompson handled the script revisions herself. Here is the synopsis:
After her mother’s death and no other known relatives, Evie takes a DNA test…and discovers a long-lost cousin she never knew she had. Invited by her new family to a lavish wedding in the English countryside, she is initially seduced by the sexy aristocratic host, but is soon thrust into a nightmare of survival as she uncovers twisted secrets in her family’s history and the disturbing intentions behind it. his sinful generosity.
Natalie Emmanuel (game of Thrones) plays Evie and is joined by Thomas Doherty (Decendents), Hugh Skinner (My goodness! Here we go again), Sean Pertwee (soldier dogs), Courtney Taylor (Insecure), Alana Boden (i am smart elizabeth), and Stephanie Corneliussen (mr robot).
Emile Gladstone produced the film for Screen Gems. The studio is said to be excited about The invitation, feeling that it has franchise potential. If this one makes enough money, we could have several more InvitationI know what to expect.
Our reviewer Tyler Nichols was not very impressed with The invitation; You can read his 5/10 review at THIS LINK.
have you seen The invitation, and would you be interested in seeing an R-rated version of the film? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
