'Vampire Academy' Zoey Deutch Talks Training, Co-Stars + More

(99.7 [NOW!]) - Fans of the worldwide bestselling series by Richelle Mead are chomping at the bit for the February 7th release of VAMPIRE ACADEMY on the silver screen. Zoey Deutch plays Rose Hathaway in the film adaptation and talked to 99.7 [NOW!] about the intense training for the action scenes, her bond with her co-stars, the Vampire Academy fanbase and more.

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Letty B.'s Interview:

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All you have to do is watch the trailer to see that, as Rose and Lissa stand against the Strigoi (immortal, evil vampires) in the VAMPIRE ACADEMY, there are some serious action sequences. In order to bring the story's action to the screen the actors went through an intense training regiment.

"It was a lot of training." Explained Zoey Deutch, "It was actually three and half months of gym, kickboxing, martial arts training and stunt choreography."

Combining all that action with a softer side was a major focus for Deutch when crafting the subtleties of the Rose character.

"I think the initial reaction is to describe Rose as strong but I kind of define her strength in perhaps a different way." Deutch explained, "I find, personally, I find strength in her vulnerability. Obviously she is physically strong. Emotionally I find strength in her vulnerability, in her loyalty to her best friend, in her ability to make mistakes, acknowledge them and move forward."

In addition to her own character work, she also had to make the tight bond between Rose and Lissa seem natural and believable.

"Lucy [Fry] and I, strangely enough, have a very similar relationship in real life to the relationship in the film."

"In my opinion, one of the most vital aspects of this film is the chemistry that we have." She continued, "A lot of the time there is nothing you can do about that."
When tackling a bestselling book franchise and adapting it for film there are always pitfalls. In the case of VAMPIRE ACADEMY, the books have a more than passionate fan base who will demand a lot from the film.

"They are amazing and passionate and excited people who have a lot of opinions." Zoey gushed, "And I love it. I love them."

What scene should these passionate fans look out for? "There the 'Lust Charm' scene which I think went really well." Revealed Deutch, "It is definitely the one that the audience reacts to the loudest."

VAMPIRE ACADEMY is in theaters on February 7, 2014.