'The Lost Boys:' Cast of the Beloved Movie Then and Now
In the mood to watch an amazing horror movie? Then you should see The Lost Boys - a film about two brothers who made their way to California, with the hope of starting a new life, with new friends and becoming part of something big. They found themselves in a fictional beach town known as Santa Carla, and while their stay seemed to be engrossed around peace, they met some of the most notorious of a group of vampires. The producers of the movie took the title from J.M Barrie's and Peter Pan's Neverland, where the "lost boys" don't age. They filmed the movie in Santa Cruz, California, and fans were astonished at how the film unfolded. The movie has had two sequels, comic books, and future Television Series. Find out more about The Lost Boys Below!
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THE LOST BOYS: WHAT YOU DIDN'T KNOW
OLDER VAMPIRES
The Lost Boys was inspired by Peter Pan and Neverland, which centered around young boys that did not age. The movie was supposed to follow in the footsteps of that storyline, but the co-producer, Richard Donner, did not buy the idea of very young vampires. According to him, he did not see any sense in making young vampires, which he referred to as "Goonies go vampire." Finally, he decided The Lost Boys' vampires would grow into older, sophisticated, and model-type vampires. To an extent, this decision brought out the beauty of the film, and fans were taken aback by it.
THE EASTER EGGS
On the back of the door in Sam's room, there is a poster of Rob Lowe. Fans of the movie have been pointing to this for years when discussing the film's homoerotic undertones, as Lowe is posed in full heartthrob mode. Rob Lowe is connected to The Lost Boys, though! Joel Schumacher also wrote and directed St. Elmo's Fire, wherein Rob Lowe played a saxophonist. A Sixteen Candles poster also hangs in the room, which featured Jami Gertz as Robin.
THE TWO COREYS
Corey Haim and Corey Feldman, who played the roles of Sam Emerson and Edgar Frog, had their most significant breaks in the movie industry with The Lost Boys. In the 80s, they both began their careers as teen idols, and when they were cast in The Lost Boys, it was a significant mark in their careers. After this, they featured in a television show titled The Two Coreys, which aired for two seasons on A&E. Both actors ended up struggling with fame and substance abuse, which eventually contributed to Haim's death after being diagnosed with pneumonia.
COREY FELDMAN WAS INSPIRED
According to Feldman, he was tasked with finding every movie that featured Sylvester Stallone, which was to give him insight and inspiration into his character, Edgar Frog, and he recounted how he had to watch movies like Missing in Action and Rambo. The co-producer of the film, Schumacher, was serious about bringing the characters to life, and Feldman understood every instruction he passed down.
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BEN STILLER ALMOST MADE THE CUT
Movie producers often come to a crossroads when it is time to pick suitable actors for roles. If they make the wrong choice, the movie could feel the heat. Schumacher and Marion Dougherty auditioned several young actors who wanted parts in The Lost Boys and carefully made their choices. Among the young faces that showed up for the audition was iconic actor Ben Stiller!
Image Credit: Getty Images
ALTERNATIVE ENDING
Alex Winter's vampire, Marko, originally joined the rest of the boys in the siege on Grandpa's house, only to be killed by Haim's character, Sam, who stuffed garlic into his mouth, and Star was originally going to kill David (Sutherland). Also, none of the drafts of the script had Michael (Patric) turn into a vampire. At the actual end of the movie is Grandpa's famous line about "...all the darn vampires," however, in one of the original drafts, the camera returned to the cave, to find a new group of teenagers (the Surf Nazis and Max's video store assistant Maria) crawl into the small tunnel where the Lost Boys slept. As they're doing so, the camera pushed in on on a shot of an early 1900s mural that featured Max, looking exactly the same. Schumacher concluded that Grandpa's line should be the end of the movie, and the mural was never made by the art department.
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THE LOST GIRLS?
Throughout the 90s, Joel Schumacher tried to get his vision for a sequel, The Lost Girls, off the ground. It would have featured some of the original characters and elements, but would have been more of a sequel in spirit. It has been said for mnay years that Joss Whedon's Buffy, The Vampire Slayer epitomized that vision.
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THE EYES ARE THE KEY
One of the greatest and most striking features of the vampires is their eyes. Today, those fiery eyes could be achieved in a multitude of ways; however, none of the modern luxuries were available then. Their only solution was glass contact lenses. The lenses didn’t allow oxygen to get through, resulting in very uncomfortable days. There was an odd upside, though! When David’s (Sutherland) hand catches fire, there is a closeup on his face, and he sheds a single tear. In reality, this was Sutherland’s body reacting to how dry his eyes were. It made for a great shot!
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KEIFER SUTHERLAND
Keifer's unforgettable big-screen debut in Stand By Me landed him the role of David, the "IT" bad boy. Portraying rough characters and tough guys seemed to come naturally to the actor. The son of legendary actor Donald Sutherland, the young Canadian often changed schools and didn't start pursuing an acting career until after he moved to Los Angeles and bunked with actor Robert Downey Jr. After starring in The Lost Boys, Keifer's career took off when he started collaborating with the director Joel Schumacher. The pair worked on several productions together that includes A Time to Kill, Flatliners, and Phone Booth. Years later, Keifer became a regular on television when he starred as the Emmy Award-winning Jack Bauer in the series 24 and most recently appeared as the President in the series Designated Survivor which ran for four years until 2019.
Kiefer Sutherland attends a seminar and DVD launch of the first season of the television show "24" at the Museum of Television And Radio on August 27, 2002, in Beverly Hills, California. | Source: Getty Images.
JASON PATRIC
As the son of actor Jason Miller from Exorcist, Jason made his on-screen debut in The Lost Boys as the older brother Michael, who got "hazed" into becoming a vampire. In 1991, Jason starred in Rush, the first of two big films for him during the decade. He portrayed a narcotics detective turned drug addict, and then acted in the 1996 movie Sleepers alongside Brad Pitt and Robert De Niro. Jason also made an appearance on television when he landed a recurring role on the 2106 Fox series Sleepers Wayward Pines, which ran for two seasons.
Jason Patric attends the Hollywood Film Festival's closing night film screening of "Narc" at The Arclight Cinerama Dome on October 6, 2002, in Hollywood, California. | Source: Getty Images.
COREY FELDMAN
Before Feldman portrayed Edgar Frog on The Lost Boys, he had been acting for over a decade. While Feldman started acting at the age of three, he later landed roles in The Goonies and Stand By Me, which led to his casting in the vampire film, as well as more notable films like The 'Burbs with Tom Hanks, and Dream a Little Dream. His acting career suffered because of his drug addiction, but in 2000 Feldman declared himself clean and sober for over a decade. While he continued acting, he also tried his hand at music. When the actor released a dance single called Ascension Millennium, HuffPost referred to it as "the worst music video of all time." He also released his memoir, Coreography, in 2013.
Corey Feldman arrives for Excelsior! A Celebration of The Amazing, Fantastic, Incredible and Uncanny Life Of Stan Lee at TCL Chinese Theatre on January 30, 2019, in Hollywood, California. | Source: Getty Images.
COREY HAIM
As a child actor Corey Haim starred alongside Robert Downey, Jr. in Firstborn at the age of ten and became a seasoned actor by the time he landed the role as Sam in The Lost Boys. Both Haim and his on-screen sidekick, Corey Feldman, became teen heartthrobs and were known as the "The Corey's." They starred in several movies together, including Dream a Little Dream and License to Drive. While the pair had their own reality television show called The Two Coreys on A&E in 2007, Haim never made the transition into adult acting and struggled with substance abuse, much like his friend and namesake. At the age of 38, Haim died of pneumonia in 2010.
Corey Haim arrives at a Fashion Show on March 19, 2009, in Hollywood, California. | Source: Getty Images.
BILLY WIRTH
Although Wirth played one of the main vampires named Dwayne in the film, he never quite reached stardom despite having a steady career over the following years. He went on to compete on American Gladiators and won the Assault challenge during the second semi-final in 1989. Wirth also starred in television series that include Charmed, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Sex and the City, and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.
Billy Wirth attends Corey Feldman's 35th Birthday Bash at the House of Blues on July 30, 2006, in West Hollywood, California. | Source: Getty Images.
BARNARD HUGHES
Barnard's role as Grandpa to Sam and Michael gave some comic relief to the vampire film. He excelled at the grandfatherly-type roles and had appeared in over sixteen films before being cast in The Lost Boys. While none of his acting roles before The Lost Boys particularly stood out, he continued acting, with parts in popular films such as The Lost Boys Cradle Will Rock, Sister Act 2, The Odd Couple II, and Doc Hollywood.
Barnard Hughes attends the Opening of Frozen at Circle In The Square Theatre on May 4, 2004, in New York City. | Source: Getty Images.
JAMISON NEWLANDER
As Corey Feldman's vampire-hunting brother, Alan Frog, Newlander starred in every one of The Lost Boys spinoffs. Despite his success in the film, Newlander accumulated just over two dozen acting credits since, while he most recently starred in the 2018 television film, A Tale of Two Coreys.
ALEX WINTER
Alex starred as Kiefer's vampire henchman, Marko, but became better known by fans for his later role in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure as Bill S. Preston, Esquire, and its sequel, Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey that followed in 1991. Winter continued acting but diversified into directing and was credited for his behind-the-scenes work on productions such as Deep Web, and Smosh. Winter and Keanu Reeves recently filmed a sequel for the Bill and Ted cult obsession.
Actor Alex Winter of 'AMC Visionaries: Eli Roths History of Horror' speaks onstage during the AMC Networks portion of the Summer 2018 TCA Press Tour at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on July 28, 2018, in Los Angeles, California. | Source: Getty Images.
JAMI GERTZ
Gertz fit right in with the cast of The Lost Boys as Star, the vixen, and sexy half-vampire. The actress became the quintessential "IT Girl" on screen during the 1980s and starred alongside Robert Downy, Jr. and Andrew McCarthy in Less Than Zero before she decided to take a break from acting in the early 1990s. The actress moved to Paris, where she began working as a scent designer for Lanvin and turned down the role of Rachel Green in the hugely popular television show Friends. When Jami returned to acting, she landed roles in television series, including Ally McBeal, Entourage, The Neighbors, Modern Family, and ER.
DIANNE WIEST
Wiest began acting on the theater stage in college and made her on-screen debut with the 1980 film, It's My Turn alongside Michael Douglas. In 1986, Wiest starred in Hannah and Her Sisters with Mia Farrow and Barbara Hershey, for which she earned an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, as well as several other Woody Allen movies. Wiest was then cast as Corey Haim and Jason Patric's clueless mother, Lucy, in The Lost Boys. Some of her most memorable 63 acting credits thus far include Edward Scissorhands with Johnny Depp, Jodie Foster's Little Man Tate, and her portrayal of Dr. Gina Toll in HBO's In Treatment. In 2008, the latter earned Wiest a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.
Dianne Wiest attends an evening with 'Life In Pieces' at The Paley Center for Media on December 14, 2015, in Beverly Hills, California. | Source: Getty Images.
THE LOST BOYS REBOOT?
The film may have found its way back on screen with an intended reboot announced early in 2019. The CW television network gave the green light to four new pilots, all based on popular fan favorites. In addition to The Lost Boys, the new pilots also include spinoffs from Nancy Drew, Jane the Virgin, and Riverdale.
For years Rob Thomas has been working on a The Lost Boys TV show. If his name sounds familiar to you, it's because he created Veronica Mars! Thomas' original pitch followed a group of young vampires through the decades, but the CW wanted something closer to the 1987 film. They finally shot a pilot that adopted the movie’s premise! Unfortunately, the CW wasn't satisfied and has since begun to recast some roles, which will require substantial reshoots this fall. Most of the main characters and the basic premise will remain, but which other elements from the original would you need if this reboot is to be worthy of the name Lost Boys?
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Source: Wikipedia, MentalFloss
