With his feature directorial debut DRACULA UNTOLD, Gary Shore crafted an origin story for the most famous vampire of all time. Shore has now closed a deal to tell a vampire story of a different sort with his second film, signing on to direct RED RIVER.
Scripted by Ronan Blaney, who received an Oscar nomination for writing the 2014 short film BOOGALOO AND GRAHAM, RED RIVER is
set in an isolated town in Ireland, where a bloodthirsty drifter befriends an immigrant family and avenges their murdered father.
If you catch a Western vibe from the title and plot description, it's no mistake. Shore notes that Westerns were indeed an influence on Blaney's story:
A story about a vampire hell-bent on teaching an isolated town a thing or two about its treatment of outsiders is a valuable reminder that man is capable of being the real monster. I love Ronan's script – heartbreaking, violent and touching all at once. With influences like HIGH PLAINS DRIFTER, SHANE, and LET THE RIGHT ONE IN, it's definitely an original in the genre with the potential to be a modern classic."
It's not clear whether or not RED RIVER will be a period piece, but I'm guessing it will be set in present day. Either way, a vampire project that blends a Western sensibility with LET THE RIGHT ONE IN sounds to me like it could be something very cool.
XYZ Films is currently shopping the project to buyers at the Cannes Film Festival. RED RIVER is expected to go into production in Northern Ireland later this year.
Between DRACULA UNTOLD and RED RIVER, Shore also directed the St. Patrick's Day segment of the horror anthology HOLIDAYS.