2014’sVampire Academywas based on a bestselling young adult novel series, and poised to kick off the next hit YA movie franchise, butVampire Academy 2never happened. Directed byMean Girls' Mark Waters, theVampire Academymovie adapts the first book in the series by Richelle Mead. It follows best friends Rose Hathaway (Zoey Deutch), a Dhampir (human-vampire hybrid), and Lissa Dragomir (Lucy Fry), a Moroi (a breed of peaceful vampires), who run away from their boarding school, St. Vladimir’s Academy, only to be caught and forced to return.
The firstVampire Academynovelwas published in 2007, a time when young adult book series, particularly those centered around the supernatural, were booming in popularity. This was the same year that bothHarry Potter and the Deathly HallowsandEclipse, the third book in theTwilight Saga, were published. Both of those series went on to become such huge movie franchises that the adaptations of their final books were split into two movies. WithHunger Gamesnot far behind, it raises more than a few eyebrows thatVampire Academydidn’t even get one sequel.
Vampire Academy 2 Isn’t Happening Because The First Movie Was A Box Office Bomb
Preger Entertainment Launched A Failed Indiegogo Campaign To Fund Frostbite
Sadly, unlike the first movies in theTwilightorHarry Potterfranchises,Vampire Academywas dead on arrival when it was released in 2014.The movie barely made back even half of its tiny $30 million budget, grossing just over $15 million at the worldwide box office(viaBox Office Mojo).Vampire Academywasn’t screened for critics, which is often a sign that a movie studio knows their movie is a dud. When the pundits did get a chance to review the film, the reviews were abysmal. It received a paltry 17% onRotten Tomatoes, with the critical consensus saying,
Though it may appeal to its built-in fanbase,Vampire Academy’sTwilight-meets-Mean Girlsconceit borrows lazily from its predecessors and offers few laughs or thrills to complement its overstuffed backstory.
Unsurprisingly, with few critics or fans championing aVampire Academy 2, none was announced. However, Preger Entertainment, the company that acquired the rights to theVampire Academybook series, made one last attempt to get a sequel funded. In the summer of 2014, theylaunched a campaign on the crowdfunding siteIndiegogoin an effort to raise the final $1.5 million needed to filmVampire Academy 2, akaFrostbite(viaForbes). Alas, they fell short of their goal, only raising $254,500, andVampire Academy 2never came to fruition.
The 2022 Vampire Academy Show Also Failed To Make Audiences Take A Bite
Peacock Canceled The Series After One Season
In the 2020s,Vampire Academyfans were given renewed hope in seeing their beloved book series back on screen. This time, the adaptation came in the form of a television series. Peacock released season 1 ofVampire Academyin September 2022, with Sisi Stringer and Daniela Nieves leading theVampire Academycastin the respective roles of Rose Hathaway and Lissa Dragomir. Unlike the 2014 movie,Vampire Academyseason 1 didn’t directly adapt the first book, and instead took inspiration from the novels as a whole to tell a new story.
17%
56%
Vampire AcademyTV show (2022)
77%
44%
Critics were much kinder to the television series than the movie, giving Peacock’sVampire Academyan admiral 77% onRotten Tomatoes. However,the show failed to impress audiences, as reflected in the 44% Rotten Tomatoes audience score(compared to the movie’s 56%). In January 2023, it wasannounced thatPeacock had canceled bothVampire Academyand another YA series,One Of Us Is Lying. With both a failed movie and TV adaptation,Vampire Academyfans hoping for aVampire Academy 2may have to settle for rereadingFrostbite.
Vampire Academy
Cast
In Vampire Academy, Rose Hathaway and her friend Lissa Dragomir, Dhampir guardians-in-training, return to their school after escaping danger. As they face the threats of the undead Strigoi and sinister plots, secrets emerge, including Lissa’s rare Spirit powers. With their bond tested and a dangerous enemy targeting Lissa, Rose must protect her friend while navigating forbidden romance and uncovering dark truths. In this supernatural world, loyalty and love are the ultimate weapons against ancient evil.
A young dhampir guardian-in-training and her best friend, a Moroi vampire princess, attend a high-stakes academy for vampires. As they contend with typical teenage challenges and the constant threat of Strigoi attacks, they unravel mysteries about their school and their fates.
