There are currently a multitude of movies in the works based on the Dracula mythos, including Robert Kirkman’s violent comedy Renfield, Karyn Kusama’s update of the Bram Stoker novel and Chloe Zhao’s futuristic sci-fi Western, but based on the talent that’s just been added to the cast, André Øvredal’s Last Voyage of the Demeter is looking like it’ll be first out of the gate and perhaps the most hotly-anticipated to boot.
As you may have inferred from the title, the movie will take place on the fateful journey from Transylvania to London that occurs around the midway point of Dracula, with a mysterious package on board that has dire consequences for the inhabitants of the titular ship. Up until recently, Corey Hawkins was the only confirmed member of the ensemble having joined the project back in January, but the roster has now filled out significantly.
Game of Thrones veteran Liam Cunningham will play the Demeter’s captain, with The Suicide Squad‘s David Dastmalchian as first mate. Rising star Aisling Franciosi has signed on as secret stowaway Anna, and Deadpool‘s Stefan Kapicic will show up as a crew member. The most exciting addition without a doubt is horror veteran Javier Botet, who becomes the latest in a long line of actors to inherit the mantle of Dracula.
You might not recognize his name, but if you’re a horror fan then you’ll be more than familiar with his work after Botet embodied antagonist La Niña Medeiros in the REC trilogy, brought the title characters to life in Mama and Slender Man, and has been buried under prosthetics as The Conjuring 2‘s Crooked Man, Insidious‘ KeyFace and both the Witch and the Hobo in It: Chapter 2. Botet’s presence alone guarantees a terrifying new spin on Dracula, with cameras now rolling on Last Voyage of the Demeter ahead of an expected 2022 release.