Nina Dobrev’s Role in ‘Run This Town’ is Surprisingly Different Than Her Role in ‘The Vampire Diaries’
Nina Dobrev soared to international fame as one of the stars of The CW’s The Vampire Diaries. Now, audiences can spot her in the new movie Run This Town, which hits theaters on Friday March 6. Dobrev’s fans can expect to see a different side of the actress in the film. Long gone are the days of teen love triangles. A more mature Dobrev is likely here to stay, and based on the early response from critics, that is good news for fans.
Nina Dobrev in ‘The Vampire Diaries’
The Vampire Diaries — based on the book series of the same name — hit The CW in 2009 amid incomparable fan frenzy. Dobrev portrayed Elena Gilbert, a teen living in the small town of Mystic Falls, Virginia, who had recently lost both her parents. When two mysterious brothers — The Salvatores — come to town, things get mighty strange very quickly.
It turns out that the brothers are vampires, and Elena is the doppelgänger to their maker, Katherine Pierce. The brothers are instantly drawn to Elena and a supernatural love triangle forms.
Over the next several years, The Vampire Diaries viewers became deeply enthralled by the mythology and significantly invested in the relationships portrayed on the show. As a result, Nina Dobrev and her co-stars vaulted to worldwide fame.
The Vampire Diaries ran for 171 episodes over the course of eight seasons and has spawned two spin-offs. During the series run, Dobrev completed several film projects while on break from shooting the show. Dobrev left after six seasons to pursue other projects full-time, but her character continued to play into the overall storyline off-screen.
Nina Dobrev in ‘Run This Town’
Once Dobrev left behind Elena Gilbert, she seized the opportunity to take on more adult roles, particularly on the big screen. Her latest movie role in Run This Town is a far cry from the angsty teenager she played on The Vampire Diaries.
Like The Vampire Diaries, Dobrev shares top-billing with two male counterparts. That is where the similarities begin and end. Dobrev’s part in Run This Town is vastly different than the role that shot her career into the stratosphere.
Unlike The Vampire Diaries’ premise, which is pure fantasy, Run This Town is a fictional story that is driven by real events. The movie revolves around the Toronto Mayor, Rob Ford, who became embroiled in a scandal during his term. In the story, three young professionals – including Dobrev’s character and two young men — are caught up in Ford’s orbit.
Run This Town is a film that was produced for mature audiences, and it has the R-rating to prove it. Unlike The Vampire Diaries, which was targeted to young audiences, Dobrev’s new project is strictly for grownups. According to the MPAA card at the beginning of the trailer, moviegoers can expect adult language and sexual references in this drama.
Run This Town premiered at the SXSW media conference in 2019. The reviews were positive, and since then, the buzz has grown. So far, the film has reached 71% on the Tomatometer and is Certified Fresh by Rotten Tomatoes. By comparison, The Vampire Diaries is Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with a healthy 85% on the Tomatometer.Time will tell if Dobrev’s film will meet or exceed the approval rating of her legendary show once all of the critic’s reviews of the film have been recorded.
Although The Vampire Diaries has been off the air since 2017, the series has found a second life on Netflix. With any luck, Run This Town will also attract an audience and leave a lasting impression.
Read more:‘The Vampire Diaries’: Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley have teamed up again
