It was reported earlier this year that Chloe Zhao, director of Eternals, will serve as the writer, director and producer of Bram Stoker's Dracula. While there are few new details about the classic Gothic horror story about the so-called "sci-fi Western," Zhao herself has been ridiculing the project by posting a new post on her Instagram that depicts a Northferatu on horseback, which she only headlines with an emoji for a glass of red wine — though we all know it could mean something else.
Cho Chloe has recently been selected for several different projects, and her Marvel debut has undoubtedly caused a stir in some way, so when it comes to a beloved and often adapted work like Dracula, how exactly do you approach it? Well, it seems to turn it into "an original, futuristic sci-fi Western". The project comes from Universal Pictures, which has developed many films based on famous vampires themselves, and it's unclear whether it will be part of their larger monster universe or still be a standalone film, but in an interview with Variety, Zhao elaborated on some of the expectations for the new version.
"I like your last question mark – a 'sci-fi Western'?" Uncle Zhao, this unique description. No, I like that. It's like looking at Jessica Bruder's book [Nomadland] and really seeing behind the pages and discovering the meaning and essence behind each page. I'm a big fan of this book. I wanted to see what I could find in [in Dracula], and then be able to reimagine this character that I really liked.
She added: "I love complex characters. This is a very important book for me. Immortality is something that eternity begins to explore, but I want to question and understand.
Of course, Dracula has been one of the genre's most enduring icons since its creation, from his first unofficial film debut in Northferatu in 1922 to the original universal film Dracula starring the great Bella Lugosi in 1931, and there has been no decade without a new screen adaptation of Dracula's legend that has not been resurrected from the grave. Whether it's the Hammer Series starring Christopher Lee, the gorgeous 1992 epic of Francis Ford Coppola, or films like Monster Squad, Van Helsing, Transylvania Hotel, or Buffy the Vampire Hunter, there are very few people who haven't seen creatures at night in one form or another. A new rendition of the character may or may not be welcome, but ultimately it means that Dracula's image will enter a new decade again.
"Chloe's unique perspective reveals stories of neglect and misunderstanding," Universal Pictures president Peter Kramer said in a statement at the time. "We are thrilled to work with her as she reimagines one of the most iconic outsider characters of all time."