Latino Review is reporting from a trusted source that Universal is currently gearing up to make Dracula: Year Zero, an origin story for the famous vampire.
More interesting than the news of yet another Dracula-based film is that Sam Worthington, of Terminator Salvation and Avatar fame, has signed up to play the Count himself. With Worthington about to appear in the Clash Of The Titans remake, he’s exceptionally hot property at the moment, particularly as he’s toplined the highest-grossing film of all time.
Taking all that into account, we’ve had a look back at five recent portrayals of the Vampiric Vlad on the big and small screen. It hardly inspires confidence.
Buffy The Vampire Slayer (2000)
Rudolf Martin
Dracula appears in the season five opener, an episode more noted for its comedy than anything else. Beyond a few token references to the legend, the portrayal was less than noteworthy.
Dracula 2000 (2000)
Gerard Butler
There’s little in the way of positive things can be said about this film, which reworked the classic Dracula story to make Gerard Butler’s count into Judas Iscariot. No, seriously. It’s a shame really, as it could have… no, we can’t be nice about Dracula 2000. Avoid.
Van Helsing (2004)
Richard Roxburgh
Again, the less that’s said about Stephen Sommers’ appalling Van Helsing the better, in which Dracula bankrolls Dr Frankenstein so that he can remake his monster, among other things. It’s just a bit rubbish, really, and not worth seeing, but it’s not necessarily poor Richard Roxburgh’s fault entirely, just a little bit.
Blade: Trinity (2004)
Dominic Purcell
Now going by the name of ‘Drake’, the vampires of the Bladeverse hope that he will be able to rejuvenate their race by producing Daywalkers. Conversely, the humans need his blood to complete a bioweapon.
Supernatural (2008)
Todd Stashwick
So very silly, the Dracula of Supernatural was actually a deranged Skinwalker, who started assuming the shapes of classic Universal monsters to kill its victims. It’s easily one of the best episodes of the fourth season.
