"You shall pay, black prince! I shall place a curse of suffering on you that will doom you to a living Hell. I curse you with my name."
A new take on Blacula, the cult classic 1972 American blaxploitation vampire movie directed by William Crain, is on the way from MGM, Bron and Hidden Empire Film Group, with Deon Taylor (The Intruder) set to direct, and will also write the script with Micah Ranum.
We first heard about plans to relaunch Blacula back in 2021, but it's pretty much been radio silence since. However, while reporting on a 50th anniversary screening of the original at the Fine Arts Theater in Beverly Hills tonight, Variety (via FearHQ.com) confirmed that the project is still moving forward, and is “slated for release next Halloween.”
Initially believed to be a full reboot, the trade's report suggests that it will also serve as a sequel.
“The reboot picks 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 late William Marshall memorably played the title role in the original, but no cast members have been announced for this new film.
"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,” Taylor said in a statement. "As a filmmaker, it’s a privilege to have the rich experience of bringing the film back to life. On Halloween, we are going to uplift and celebrate the film for the impact it left on the cinematic landscape.”
“As Black producers, directors and creatives, Deon and Roxanne have consistently demonstrated a winning formula for making films that create significant platforms for relevant contemporary issues, especially those that impact Black communities,” added AAFCA co-founder and president Gil Robertson. “I am not surprised that they are celebrating ‘Blacula’ and expect that it will resonate with as much cultural significance as the original.”
A Blacula graphic novel from Zombie Love Studios which brought the vampire into a modern setting was released back in 2021.
Check out the trailer for the original below, along with a logline for the upcoming reimagining.
“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.”
Have you seen the original Blacula movies? If so, be sure to let us know what you make of these "requel" plans in the comments down below.