Bleh, bleh, bleh! Word has come on the night that Paramount Pictures has acquired the screen rights to DRACUL, the first prequel to be authorized by the estate of Bram Stoker. For the moment, the film linked to the most celebrated blood sucker in literary history is being developed as a potential directing gig for Andy Muschietti, who will partner IT producers Barbara Muschietti and Roy Lee for the proposed project.
Written by Dacre Stoker and J.D. Barker, the terrifying tale is set in 1869, where a 21-year old Bram Stoker meets with an ungodly evil, which he traps in an ancient tower all the while scribbling the events that led him to the creature's incarceration. The iconic monster's origin story was recently awarded to Putnam’s Mark Tavani in a 5-house auction brokered by Kristin Nelson of Nelson Literary Agency.
Hot damn! A prequel to the story of Dracula with IT director Andy Muschietti possibly on-board to direct? That sounds like a winning combination to me. However, if this project gets in the way of Muschietti contributing to the forthcoming LOCKE AND KEY television series, I will be mightily upset. However, I think that perhaps my preemptive rage might be misguided, as the DRACUL project has a long way to go before any cameras can begin capturing the origin tale of the beloved fanged fiend.
Would you be down for Muschietti helming a Dracula-related prequel? Who do you think should star as the famed movie monster or Bram Stoker himself? Let us know in the comments section below.
Andy Muschietti's IT will float into thaters September 8th.