In Hollywood’s ongoing quest to wring every last drop of opportunity from everything, we now have an origin story for one of the most legendary characters in literature – Dracula. Created by Bram Stoker in 1897, he has appeared in almost 220 films since slinking onto the literature scene all those years ago. The book in which he was introduced had him shrouded in mystery – describing him and his nefarious exploits, observed from afar – already a monster of many, many years. It could be argued that it is this very air of mystery that has given rise to a deep desire to fill in the blanks, and build the universe from which he sprang. That is the aim of the upcoming Dracula Untold, for which we now have a new trailer.
In an ambitious feature-length debut from commercial director Gary Shore, the film comes from the debut screenplay of Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless. The newcomers pack experience into their cast, however, with Luke Evans (Fast & Furious 6) in the lead as Vlad Tepes, supported by Dominic Cooper (Tony Stark in the Marvel Universe), Sarah Gadon (Maps To The Stars), Samantha Barks (Les Miserables), Charlie Cox (the lead in the new Daredevil TV show) and the phenomenal Charles Dance.
The story seems to depict Tepes (Evans) as a powerful nobleman, trying to prevent a war that would endanger his family, and specifically his son. In order to avoid the conflict, he must make a pact with an evil force, which results in his transformation into the now legendary creature of the night – and so, apparently, Dracula is born.
While the idea and concept are perhaps intriguing, the trailer unfortunately falls flat. There is, quite simply, nothing new to see. Luke Evans looks exactly like he has done in a dozen other period films, the camera work bears remarkable similarities to films like 300, and the special effects are so 2003 The Lord Of The Rings. The most interesting thing about this preview is the bizarre choice of music – which is an attempt to lay a modern gothic layer over this adaptation of a traditional gothic character. It doesn’t quite work, however, and we are left with something of a damp squib, as opposed to a menacing force.
We’ll find out if Dracula Untold has more to offer when it is released on October 17th, 2014.