Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant

STARRING Chris Massoglia, John C. Reilly, Willem Dafoe
WRITTEN BY Paul Weitz, Brian Helgeland
DIRECTED BY Paul Weitz

These days, it’s hard to throw a stake without hitting a vampire somewhere. Based on the second novel in Darren Shan’s young-adult series, the fantasy follows a teen (Chris Massoglia) who tries to save the life of his best friend (Josh Hutcherson) by making a deal to become the lackey of a vampire (John C. Reilly). Only thing is, he has to become half a vampire himself. The film features other fantastical characters as well, such as a giant spider, a limb regenerator (Jane Krakowski), and a bearded lady (Salma Hayek). ”As kids, my brother and I were Lord of the Rings freaks and Dungeons & Dragons players,” says director/co-writer Paul Weitz (About a Boy). ”That part of the film was dear to my heart.”