Robert Englund reflects on his role in 1989's ‘The Phantom of the Opera,’ talks about lost sequel idea
Actor Robert Englund talks with Yahoo Entertainment’s Ethan Alter about his lead role in the 1989 film “The Phantom of the Opera,” saying that it was meant to have a prequel.
Video Transcript
ETHAN ALTER: "Phantom of the Opera." Now, this is really interesting because you were sort of-- you've been Freddie for a few years now, and this is sort of your attempt to make something your own, a separate star franchise built around you as the Phantom. But you're honest in the documentary about saying it didn't quite work. It didn't quite take off that way. So looking back, is there anything you'd do differently? Is there something-- is there a way you'd approach it differently now?
ROBERT ENGLUND: No. I actually-- I'm fond of the film because we made-- Dwight Little and I, our plan was for it to be a saturated color homage to the Hammer film. What happened was there was always this second film to piggyback on it. That's why "The Phantom of the Opera" that was released has that strange ending.
ETHAN ALTER: Right.
ROBERT ENGLUND: No, that was a great adventure for me. I'm proud of that film. I still get tons of fan mail about that film because goth fans have really-- are really attracted. Goth fans really love romance. And they find that movie romantic, and dark, and violent at the same time. And that's a real sort of heady mixture for the goth fans. But no, it's a shame because the sequel script was about the Phantom living in a subterranean world in New York.
ETHAN ALTER: Right.
ROBERT ENGLUND: And he has these sort of lost boys who are sort of punk rock, runaways, homeless kids that he feeds and takes care of. And he lives down there on an old robber baron's train car. And the Phantom hears from the subway a busker, someone performing for the commuters. He hears this voice, and it's a blind girl.
ETHAN ALTER: Mm.
ROBERT ENGLUND: And she's his muse now. Her voice is the voice that will bring his music alive. She's up there with her father, the old violinist playing for her. And they are attacked by, you know, neo-Nazis, you know, and skinheads. And the Phantom is up there in the shadows listening to her, and he wants to give her his music.
And he goes in and saves the father. You know, he saves the father's life. And he sort of avenges her. And he-- she's blind. She can't see his disfigurement.
So he's able to talk to her and give her his music, and she develops that. And she takes his song on an audition to the New York City Opera, and she gets in. And she's celebrated by them. And they put their money together, and they give her an eye operation. And they cure her blindness. This is so romantic, but it's perfect for goth.
ETHAN ALTER: Right.
ROBERT ENGLUND: And you know. But it was just really archromantic thing, you know. But it had this great central landscape of beneath-- the story that happens beneath the city streets. And then she goes into society, and then he has to retreat back underneath. And I just thought it was great.
Because of various factors, economic and otherwise, we never got to make it. But yeah, it was just-- it was really fun, really an adventure. We shot it in Budapest. You know, I think we were there for couple of months. And just a great gig.
