The amount of Dracula-inspired projects in the works may be pushing double figures at the moment, but that hasn’t stopped MGM from adding one of its own with Variety reporting that the soon-to-be-acquired-by-Amazon studio us working on a modern reboot of the classic 1972 blaxploitation horror Blacula.
Deon Taylor (Meet the Blacks, The House Next Door) is set to direct the film, which will “pick up where the original saga left off, after the 1973 sequel Scream Blacula Scream, and will be set in a metropolitan city post-coronavirus pandemic.” The official synopsis reads:
Blacula is an ancient African prince who is cursed by Dracula after he fails to agree to end the slave trade. Blacula is entombed and awakens 200 years later ready to avenge the death of his ancestors and of those responsible for robbing his people of their work, culture and heritage as they appropriated it for profit.
“Blacula is arguably one of the most prestigious Black franchises and so important to the culture as it birthed a groundswell of Blaxploitation-horror films, which changed the game for how our people were seen on the big screen,” said Taylor. “Growing up in Gary, IN, I loved watching Blacula and was so proud that William Marshall was a fellow Gary native. It’s mind-blowing that this franchise never got the energy or appreciation that other genre films received over the years, but this reboot is about to change all that. Thank you to Aaron, Brenda and team Bron as well as everyone at MGM for joining us on this adventure. We promise to bring new life to the iconic Blacula character that will resonate with audiences worldwide!”
