Comic Con Movies: Let Me In Panel

This afternoon, Overture Films presented a panel for its upcoming remake of the Swedish film (based on the Swedish novel) Let the Right One In, retitled Let Me In because apparently that's more straightforward for us Americans. The story focuses on the relationship of two pre-teens played by Kodi Smit-McPhee (The Road) and Chloe Moretz (Kick-Ass). Both were on the panel along with Academy Award nominee Richard Jenkins and director Matt Reeves (Cloverfield).

The film is a vampire story, but it's more about the pains of growing up than anything else. Reeves said the film wouldn't have been made if he couldn't find the right kids and subsequently praised Moretz and Smit-McPhee. He called the whole cast his "dream cast." He also considered the original film a masterpiece and did not want to tamper with the elements that made it successful (younger kids, snowy backdrop). He received a lot of help and support from both John Ajvide Lindqvist (novel and screenplay) and Steven Spielberg, both of whom loved Cloverfield. Spielberg particularly helped in giving Reeves advice on working with kids. He told him to have the kids keep journals in character among other things. The kids also had a lot of help from their parents with their roles. Neither child, however, saw the Swedish film as to not let those performances influence their own, which Reeves insisted on.

Two clips were presented. One was of a "date" between Smit-McPhee and Moretz's characters after Smit-McPhee's character, Owen, gets bullied and beat up. Moretz definitely seemed to shine as she usually does. The second clip was a highly dramatic and tension-filled scene between Jenkins and Moretz where Jenkins screws up big time in getting Moretz's character, Abby, some blood.

Normally a quickly made remake of a foreign film gets butchered, but the source material appears to be so strong and the cast so well-chosen that Let Me In should have a big effect on American audiences come Oct. 1.