In a surprise move, NBC is betting hard on vampires by going back to one of the original bloodsuckers… Count Dracula himself.
Deadline is reporting that a new “Dracula” TV project has been given a rare “script-to-series” commitment. That means that the if the network is happy with the pilot script by Cole Haddon, then “Dracula” will go straight to series and bypass the traditional pilot process.
Tony Krantz and Colin Callender are executive producing the new “Dracula;” which is described as “’Dangerous Liaisons’ meets ‘The Tudors’” and it will reportedly maintain the 1890’s setting from Bram Stocker’s original novel. The producers are also simultaneously preparing “Dracula” for both a domestic and an international rollout with an eye towards presales in foreign markets. Much like Bryan Fuller’s potential “Hannibal” series on NBC, the international backing makes both projects much more likely to go forward.
Ever since the early days of cinema, Dracula has been featured in over two hundred films and TV series, including Bela Lugosi’s iconic turn as the title character in “Dracula” (pictured above); which was released in 1931. Although some industry observers have suggested that the current vampire trend will fade away once the “Twilight” films wrap up, the Deadline report notes that both “True Blood” and “The Vampire Diaries” have been able to sustain an audience on TV.
Prior to the new “Dracula,” Haddon wrote “Hyde,” an updated version of Robert Lewis Stevenson’s “The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.” Haddon’s “Hyde” depicted a “rehabilitated” Dr. Jekyll and was on the 2010 Black List of the best unproduced screenplays.
Krantz and Callender are also developing “The Fixer” for NBC, based on the life of New York attorney Edward Hayes, who is well known as the lawyer for several organized crime bosses.
What do you think about this potential new “Dracula” series? Who would you cast in the title role? Sharpen your fangs and share your opinions below!
