Vampires are coming to NBC. The network announced today that it ordered 10 episodes of Dracula, a drama from the producers of PBS’ Downton Abbey that will be set in 1896. Jonathan Rhys Meyers (The Tudors) will play the man with the fangs.
“In the world of Twilight, we thought we would go back to the original,” Entertainment Chairman Bob Greenblatt told reporters Tuesday. “The book is still really fresh. Hopefully this will be a cool new version of Dracula.”
“This will bring a Tudors sensibility to Dracula,” he added. “It will be faithful to the period but look to the future.”
Jonathan Rhys Meyers is going from a King who spilled a lot of blood to a famous
Count who drank a lot of blood. NBC has picked up the series Dracula with
the Tudors star in the title role; the world’s most famous vampire is
headed for the small screen.
The series won’t be another modernization of
a classic tale. Instead, NBC’s Dracula will take place in the 1890s in
London and offer a new version of the old story says THR.
But Dracula himself won’t actually be British, nor will he apparently be
Transylvanian. So much for hopes for a cool vampire accent. No, this time
Dracula will be (or will at least appear to be) an American who has come to
London ostensibly to bring modern science to the Victorian world, but with a
hidden agenda of vengeance which is made difficult when he falls in love. The
storyline itself is different from the Bram Stoker version but doesn’t quite go
into the modern age like True Blood. At least Dracula will have some cool
Victorian clothes to wear, which should please all those Goth-leaning viewers
out there.
Supernatural dramas have been all the rage for a while, and
this new series will be fighting for the attention of vampire lovers with
established shows like True Blood and The Vampire Diaries. Does
the allure of Count Dracula still have power in the age of Eric Northman? The
classic character has been portrayed many times in film and television and in
many different ways. How Jonathan Rhys Meyers plays him will certainly be a big
part of the show’s success – or failure. My guess is that we can expect to see a
Dracula who is sexier than any we’ve encountered before, who may not be in the
modern world but will still be designed to appeal to the modern idea of
vampires.
http://insidetv.ew.com/2012/07/24/nbc-buys-dracula-drama-starring-jonathan-rhys-meyers/
http://www.cinemablend.com/television/NBC-Orders-Dracula-Series-Starring-Jonathan-Rhys-Meyers-45003.html
