Will he wear a space helmet? A cowboy hat? A space helmet with a tiny cowboy hat perched upon it? Dracula’s back, and this ain’t your old man’s bloodsucker. THR reports that Chloé Zhao, the filmmaker behind The Rider, upcoming Oscar hopeful Nomadland, and Marvel outing The Eternals, is now developing a new, novel spin on Dracula for Universal.
Zhao will produce and direct the project, which THR describes as an “original, futuristic, sci-fi Western” that stays true to the filmmaker’s themes, which tend to circle around people living on the fringes of society. “Chloé’s singular lens shines a light on stories of the overlooked and misunderstood,” said Peter Kramer, Universal Pictures president, in a statement. “We are thrilled to be working with her as she reimagines one of the most iconic outsider characters ever created.”
Zhao, meanwhile, says in a statement that she’s “always been fascinated by vampires and the concept of the Other they embody.”
Universal’s been tapping a number of impressive filmmakers from different and diverse corners of Hollywood to help refresh its classic monster IP following the collapse of its dead-end Dark Universe. Their efforts are off to a good start, with Leigh Whannel’s The Invisible Man having cleaned up both commercially and critically. Currently, Dexter Fletcher, Paul Feig, Elizabeth Banks, and James Wan are all working on monster movies with Universal.
Zhao, meanwhile, is currently celebrating Nomadland’s four Golden Globe nominations, which include nods for best drama, screenplay, and director. Nomadland hits theaters and Hulu later this month.