‘Sherlock’ Creators to Produce ‘Dracula’ TV Adaptation
Despite its ambiguous future and the steadily dwindling hopes of a fifth season, fans of Sherlock won’t have to wait long to see the creative talents of Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat grace their television screens again.
The Sherlock show creators have just announced that they are adapting Bram Stoker’s Dracula into a television miniseries. Along for this new adventure will be television producer Sue Vertue, whose company Hartswood Films also produced Sherlock and several other popular British shows such as Coupling and Doctor Who.
It is much too early to hammer down any details about this new horror show, such as how many seasons are planned and if it will bring the classic vampire epic into a more modern setting. Gatiss and Moffat have not begun writing the Dracula script as they are currently busy with individual projects, and the adaptation is still in the early stages of contractual negotiations with BBC.
Still, at the very least it’s assumed that Dracula will be formatted as feature-length episodes and short seasons like its Sherlock predecessor. Given the heavy British influence behind its creation, as well as several important settings featured in the 1897 novel, it’s also all but assured that the series will take place in England.
The character of Dracula has long been an arresting force in pop culture, and has made various minor appearances in film and television for several decades. Yet, surprisingly, producing a full length television series for the popular character has always been less than successful.
NBC made the last, rather unsavory attempt in 2013, with actor Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Downtown Abbey production company Carnival trying to reimagine the Dracula mythos somewhat divorced from its literary origins. The show was cancelled after one season.
With Gatiss and Moffat backing the project, do you think this latest attempt at a Dracula television series will be successful? Would you prefer the duo focus on finishing Sherlock before embarking on a new series together? Tell us what you think in the comments!
Source: Variety
