Universal’s attempt to revive its classic monsters continues with a new approach Dracula, but that doesn’t sound like any other Dracula movie we’ve seen before. The studio hired Chloe Zhao, director of Nomadland and the next Marvel movie Eternals, to adapt the classic tale of blood-sucking counts. Zhao’s approach will be a futuristic sci-fi western approach to the material. Yes really.
I’m sure none of us expected to see a sci-fi western Dracula, but here we are! THR broke the news, reporting that Chloe Zhao is directing a new Dracula and that it will be a “futuristic and sci-fi western” that will focus on themes of “being on the margins of society”. Regarding the news, Zhao said: “I have always been fascinated by vampires and the concept of the Other that they embody. I’m very excited to be working with Donna, Peter and the Universal team to reimagine such a beloved character. “
Universal Pictures President Peter Cramer added: “Chloé’s unique lenses illuminate stories of forgotten and misunderstood people. We are thrilled to be working with her as she reimagines one of the most iconic outsider characters ever created. ”Zhao will write, direct and produce the film through his production company Highwayman.
I honestly have no idea that futuristic sci-fi western Dracula looks. Does Dracula wear a cowboy hat? Does he shoot lasers? Is Renfield a robot? I think we’ll see! Dracula, Bram Stoker’s classic 1897 novel about a vampire traveling from Transylvania to London, has been adapted for the screen countless times. But a Western sci-fi version of the material is sure to bring new blood to a story that everyone probably already knows by heart. The closest anyone came to making a western Dracula it’s probably the weirdness of 1966 Billy the Kid Versus Dracula, and I’m going to take a chance here and guess that Zhao’s film will be different from that.
Zhao’s Dracula it is the last entry in Universal’s growing list of films that plunges into its classic monster stable. They tried to launch a whole cinematic universe with that of 2017 The mom starring Tom Cruise. However, the film failed and Universal shut down the idea of the shared universe. However, they did not give up entirely. The studio teamed up with Blumhouse and director Leigh Whannell to The invisible man, a film that was both critical and public.
Since the launch of The invisible man, Universal announced a series of monster-themed films. There is Invisible Woman from director Elizabeth Banks (despite the title, no related to Whannell’s Invisible Man); Paul Feig’s Dark Army, which supposedly features classic universal monsters; The Monster Mash, about which we don’t know much; an untitled project by James Wan; a new approach The werewolf starring Ryan Gosling and directed by Invisible Man filmmaker Leigh Whannell; and an untitled monster movie by Lord & Miller starring Channing Tatum.
In front of Dracula, the studio was also considering the Dracula spin off Renfield from director Dexter Fletcher, but it’s unclear if this is going to continue. And speaking of Dracula, last year’s word broke it Destroyer filmmaker Karyn Kusama would direct a Dracula film for Blumhouse. This project was no officially at Universal, however, and I confirmed through a source close to the project that Kusama’s Dracula is still happening. You may think it’s too much Draculas, but I personally would love to have a Chloe Zhao Dracula and a Karyn Kusama Dracula, because both are fantastic filmmakers who will undoubtedly bring something new to their respective films.
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