The Lost Boys

The Lost Boys is a 1987 American horror comedy film directed by Joel Schumacher, starring Jason Patric, Corey Haim, Kiefer Sutherland, Jami Gertz, Corey Feldman, Dianne Wiest, Edward Herrmann, Alex Winter, Jamison Newlander, and Barnard Hughes.

Teenage brothers Michael and Sam move with their mother to a small town in northern California. While the younger Sam meets a pair of kindred spirits in geeky comic-book nerds Edward  and Alan, the angst-ridden Michael soon falls for Star — who turns out to be in thrall to David (Kiefer Sutherland), leader of a local gang of vampires. Sam and his new friends must save Michael and Star from the undead.

• Release Date:  31st July 1987
• Director – Joel Schumacher
• Kiefer Sutherland  – David

Casting

On the film’s cast, director Joel Schumacher stated he had: “one of the greatest in the world. They are what make the film.” Most of the younger cast were relatively unknown at the time. Schumacher and Marion Dougherty met with a countless number before any were cast. Schumacher envisioned the character of Star as being a waifish blonde, similar to Meg Ryan, but he was convinced by Jason Patric to consider Jami Gertz, who had just worked with Patric in Solarbabies (1986). Schumacher was impressed, but only at Patric’s insistence did he finally cast Gertz. Joel Schumacher was surprised when his first choice for the role of Lucy, Dianne Wiest, accepted the role, as she had just recently won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Hannah and Her Sisters (1986).

“Sutherland can do almost anything. He’s a born character actor. You can see it in The Lost Boys. He has the least amount of dialogue in the movie, but his presence is extraordinary.”

After seeing Kiefer Sutherland’s portrayal of Tim in At Close Range, Schumacher arranged a reading with him at which they got on very well. Sutherland had just completed work on Stand by Me when he was offered the role of David. According to Schumacher, Sutherland: “can do almost anything. He’s a born character actor. You can see it in The Lost Boys. He has the least amount of dialogue in the movie, but his presence is extraordinary.”

The Lost Boys Trailer