A Kiss Before Dying is a 1991 American sexual thriller film directed by James Dearden and based on Ira Levin’s 1953 novel of the same name, which was nominated for the 1954 Edgar Award for Best First Novel. Matt Dillon, Sean Young, Max von Sydow, and Diane Ladd star in the drama. The story has previously been adapted in 1956 under the same title. The majority of the film was shot in the United Kingdom, with minor locations in the United States.
River Phoenix was cast as Jonathan by the creators of A Kiss Before Dying. They approached him for the position multiple times and continued raising their offers, but he didn’t feel a connection to the material and thought he was inappropriate for the part, so he repeatedly turned it down, and Matt Dillon was cast in his place. Both Diane Lane and Penelope Ann Miller were considered for the twin parts of Ellen and Dorothy, but both turned down the offer. Bridget Fonda was originally cast, but due to schedule issues, she had to drop out, and Sean Young was brought in to fill her spot.
In the United States, the film was released in wide release on April 26, 1991. It first opened in England on June 14, 1991. The box office took a beating. The first week’s gross was $4,348,165, with total sales of $14,478,720 throughout the four-week run. For thirty-one days, the film was in broad release. The picture was shown in 1,546 theatres across the country during its widest distribution. The Hindi film Baazigar is a remake of this film.
