Dracula Untold (2014)

[hagios]

Dracula 2014 Title cedit - YouTube

Synopsis
The script chronicles the epic origin of Dracula, weaving vampire mythology with the true history of Prince Vlad the Impaler. It depicts Dracula as a flawed hero in a tragic love story set in a dark age of magic and war, repositioning him more as a vengeful hero than the monster seen in Bram Stoker's classic novel.

Updated: Luke Evans is starring as the most famous of vampires in an origin story that sees a Transylvanian prince risk eternal damnation in order to save his wife and son from a Turkish horde. Barks will play a figure in Eastern European folk tales known as a baba yaga, a beautiful young woman who turns into a savage witch. Kristjansson will play Bright Eyes, an Eastern European taken as a slave as a young boy and now a vicious assassin in the Ottoman Army. Parkinson will play Dracula’s son, named Ingeras

Universal's 'DRACULA' will Have Son, and Witches!

Universal’s Dracula (formerly Year Zero), has added Zach McGowan to the cast (pictured above; “Shameless”). Per Deadline he’ll play “play a character called Shkelgim, a gypsy chief.”

The film also stars Fast & Furious 6‘s Luke Evans, Dominic Cooper (Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter) and Sarah Gadon. Gary Shore is directing and Michael De Luca producing.

“The story is a mix of mythology and history as it follows the story of Prince Vlad, the inspiration for the Dracula character popularized by the Bram Stoker novel.”

Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless wrote the latest draft of the script. VP of production Anikah McLaren and creative executive Jay Polidoro will oversee the project for Universal. The film is moving fast with Universal giving it the greenlight and slating it for an Aug. 8, 2014 release

Universal’s Dracula (formerly Year Zero), has added Dominic Cooper to the cast (pictured above; Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, Dead Man Down), Variety reports. It’s not yet known what role he’ll be playing.

Pic stars Fast & Furious 6‘s Luke Evans and Sarah Gadon. Gary Shore is directing and Michael De Luca producing.

“The story is a mix of mythology and history as it follows the story of Prince Vlad, the inspiration for the Dracula character popularized by the Bram Stoker novel.”

Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless wrote the latest draft of the script. VP of production Anikah McLaren and creative executive Jay Polidoro will oversee the project for Universal.

The film is moving fast with Universal giving it the greenlight and slating it for an Aug. 8, 2014 release.

Universal Pictures’ Dracula, which will be directed by Gary Shore and start shooting shortly, now has a release date of August 8, 2014. Luke Evans (The Raven) stars and, on the heels of this date, we can expect to start seing a bunch of casting info come our way soon.

“The script tells of a young prince who, when the lives of his wife and child are put in danger by a bloodthirsty sultan, risks his soul to save them, and in the process becomes the first vampire.”

Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless wrote the latest draft of the script and Michael De Luca will produce through his Michael De Luca Prods. banner.

[stvn1974]

Seems interesting.

[Roonan]

Another wasted opportunity to make a faithful adaptation of the novel.

[Al_The_Strange]

The script chronicles the epic origin of Dracula, weaving vampire mythology with the true history of Prince Vlad the Impaler. It depicts Dracula as a flawed hero in a tragic love story set in a dark age of magic and war, repositioning him more as a vengeful hero than the monster seen in Bram Stoker's classic novel.

When I first saw this thread, I thought, ugh, do we need another Dracula movie? The write-up above has me intruiged though; I always thought that a movie about Vlad the Impaler would be awesome. I think this could be cool.

[TheWildWhelk]

Originally Posted by Roonan

Another wasted opportunity to make a faithful adaptation of the novel.

... Which surprisingly, are actually rarer than you might think. There have been an absolute shedload of Dracula films from the dawn of cinema, but Coppola's version was (apparently) the first ever genuine true adaptation of Stoker's novel. Remarkable...

[EricJ]

Originally Posted by TheWildWhelk

... Which surprisingly, are actually rarer than you might think. There have been an absolute shedload of Dracula films from the dawn of cinema, but Coppola's version was (apparently) the first ever genuine true adaptation of Stoker's novel. Remarkable...

It was "Bram Stoker's Dracula", no less, and it was.

I honestly don't know what they're going for here, unless it's the new trope that conflicted characters now have to have long-lost sons to be unable to connect to, just like Superman did.
Refresh my memory, DID the fictional Dracula ever marry/reproduce while alive? He didn't get the chance in the Coppola version, and seems he was always looking to get some afterwards.
As far as Universal's concerned it's "Universal's Dracula", we're told prominently several times, and there's no depths they won't sink to to sell the Universal Monsters label, especially now that that Van Helsing reboot doesn't seem to be happening.

[Roonan]

Originally Posted by TheWildWhelk

... Which surprisingly, are actually rarer than you might think.

That's my point. Nobody has ever made a truly faithful adaptation of Stoker's Dracula. And Coppola's is only faithful in title, nothing more...

[jpthomas27]

Originally Posted by Roonan

Another wasted opportunity to make a faithful adaptation of the novel.

There was no intention to make an adaptation of the novel with this movie. Therefore this movie was no more of a wasted opportunity than Top Gun or Dumb and Dumber.

By your logic, every single movie every made that was not a faithful adaptation of the novel in question was a wasted opportunity.

If this movie made an attempt but failed, then this movie would SPECIFICALLY be a wasted attempt. But since there was no attempt every made you can't really say it was a wasted opportunity.

The makers didn't want to adapt the novel and why should they? The story or legend of Dracula is not contained in one singular document in history, there is no one single, factual account of his life or activities. He IS a FICTIONAL character that happened to be based (loosely) on an actual person (Vlad the impaler). Even the man the character was originally based on had almost no actual actions in common with the character Dracula.

If you would like an adaptation of the novel, I'd support that.. absolutely!! But that is a completely different conversation and the release of this movie has absolutely nothing to do with that.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by Roonan

That's my point. Nobody has ever made a truly faithful adaptation of Stoker's Dracula. And Coppola's is only faithful in title, nothing more...

The Coppola film shares more similarities with the Bram Stoker novel than the majority of Dracula adaptations, but it still falls short.

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, directed by Kenneth Branagh, was a travesty. I went into my workplace the Monday morning after seeing the movie and was ranting about it to a bunch of co-workers. One of them told me that most people probably wouldn't like the movie, because everybody wanted to see the over-the-top Boris Karloff versions of Frankenstein that were nothing like the novel. I replied to this co-worker that I had read the Mary Shelley novel about 20 times, and that my problem with the Branagh movie was that it was nothing like the novel either.

I think that the 1931 Universal Studios adaptations of these respective stories, with Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff in the respective roles, captured the spirit and the pathos of the novels better than anything since, even if they took liberties with the storylines.

[Roonan]

Originally Posted by jpthomas27

By your logic, every single movie every made that was not a faithful adaptation of the novel in question was a wasted opportunity.

Yes, specially studio-wise.

Originally Posted by jpthomas27

If this movie made an attempt but failed, then this movie would SPECIFICALLY be a wasted attempt. But since there was no attempt every made you can't really say it was a wasted opportunity.

Wasted attempt ≠ Wasted opportunity. When a studio decides to make a Dracula movie, there is an opportunity to make a faithful adaptation. If they don't want to do one, then it becomes a wasted opportunity. If they want to do one and fail, then it becomes a wasted attempt.

[octagon]

Originally Posted by Roonan

That's my point. Nobody has ever made a truly faithful adaptation of Stoker's Dracula. And Coppola's is only faithful in title, nothing more...

Count Dracula (1977) was reasonably faithful. It was a pretty good movie too.

And to be honest, reasonably faithful is probably an optimal target anyway. I like the book just fine, I reread it every couple years (in fact, I'm about due) but I don't think I'd want to be one of the people bringing it to the screen without at least a few nips and tucks.

That all said, I wouldn't mind seeing somebody take a fresh stab at a more or less faithful adaptation.

[Ill_Be_Back]

It's being filmed here, I had an opportunity to be part of it but decided not to. It doesn't look that great to be honest.

[s2mikey]

Originally Posted by Roonan

That's my point. Nobody has ever made a truly faithful adaptation of Stoker's Dracula. And Coppola's is only faithful in title, nothing more...

Well, it was at least based on the traditional storyline. Verbatim? No, but reasonably faithful.

As for this film, lets just go ahead and call it a reboot. Yeah. A reboot.

[Roonan]

Originally Posted by octagon

Count Dracula (1977) was reasonably faithful. It was a pretty good movie too.

The one from BBC? I've still got to watch it.

Originally Posted by octagon

And to be honest, reasonably faithful is probably an optimal target anyway. I like the book just fine, I reread it every couple years (in fact, I'm about due) but I don't think I'd want to be one of the people bringing it to the screen without at least a few nips and tucks.

Sure. I expect some changes when adapting a book to the big screen, but not to the extent of changing the story and their characters. And that's something Coppola did with the whole love story plot.

[thrillmygorilla]

I'm still waiting for the Blacula reboot.

[hagios]

Originally Posted by Ill_Be_Back

It's being filmed here, I had an opportunity to be part of it but decided not to. It doesn't look that great to be honest.

I sure would've, that would have been for me!!!!!

[Batman1980]

Samantha Barks is absolutely gorgeous, she's the main reason I'm interested in this right now. Wonder if Van Helsing will be in it and who will be Dracula.

[olivasauce]

I thought Coppola's Dracula was pretty close to the novel.

Anyways, this looks good as I do enjoy most vampire genre movies (I don't count Twillight in that). Sounds interesting and I am glad they are taking a different direction rather than remaking Bram Stokers Dracula because like I said I thought the Coppola version was pretty good. Got to love Gary Oldman in it for sure.

[Ill_Be_Back]

Here is a similar website about casting for extras.

http://www.projectcasting.com/united...ake-exclusive/

I will try and find the email I got from the extras agency...

[hagios]

Originally Posted by Darth Anakin

Samantha Barks is absolutely gorgeous, she's the main reason I'm interested in this right now. Wonder if Van Helsing will be in it and who will be Dracula.

AGREE!!!!!

Les Miserables‘
SAMANTHA BARKS, pictured above, Icelandic star Thor Kristjansson, “Boardwalk Empire” actor Charlie Cox, and “Game of Thrones’” Art Parkinson, pictured below, have joined the cast of Universal’s Dracula, Heat Vision reports.

LUKE EVANS is starring as the most famous of vampires in an origin story that sees a Transylvanian prince risk eternal damnation in order to save his wife and son from a Turkish horde.

Barks will play a figure in Eastern European folk tales known as a baba yaga, a beautiful young woman who turns into a savage witch. Kristjansson will play Bright Eyes, an Eastern European taken as a slave as a young boy and now a vicious assassin in the Ottoman Army. Parkinson will play Dracula’s son, named Ingeras.

Dominic Cooper and Sarah Gadon are already cast in the production, which will be directed by Gary Shore and is eyeing an August start in Belfast.

The movie has an August 8, 2014 release date.

Have not heard anything about VAN HELSING!