EXCLUSIVE:A feature adaptation of John William Polidoris classic 19th-century gothic novelThe Vampyre, one of the first English language novels to feature blood-sucking creatures, is in the works at Milky Way Media andMalcolm McDowell(A Clockwork Orange) andDerek Jacobi(Murder on the Orient Express) are attached to lead.
We understand production on the pic, titledThe Vampyre: Blood & Ink, is set to begin later this year across the UK and Northern Italy.
Director is currently under wraps, but the screenplay is by debut writer Rosanna Hamlin, and playwright and director, Trisha Ward (Nightshriek/The Two Wolves), who will both work with producers John Ward (The Two Wolves, Childrens Past Lives), John Dodds (Merchant of Venice, The Man Who Married Himself), and associate producer Jamie Bulman (The Two Wolves).
Malcolm McDowell And Derek JacobiRyan Emberley/Getty Images for RBC/Jed Cullen/Dave Benett/Getty Images.
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Frances Barber (Film Stars Dont Die in Liverpool, Dreamland), Amelia Gething (Emily, Mary & George), Amelia Clarkson (Red Rose, The Last Kingdom), and Bill Fellows (Ted Lasso) are also attached to the pic.
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Written in 1819, PolidorisThe Vampyreprecedes Bram StokersDraculaby nearly a hundred years and holds wide significance within the gothic genre.The Vampyre: Blood & Inkwill depict Polidoris dark account of the famed and mythical creatures.
Pic will begin with Lord Ruthven, a mysterious and magnetic nobleman who captivates London society with his charismatic charm.
Aubrey, a young Englishman, becomes infatuated with Ruthven and is drawn into a world of secrets and supernatural horror.
As Aubrey uncovers the truth about Ruthvens sinister nature, he finds himself trapped in a perilous battle against the allure of the vampires deadly powers.
The film will also explore how Polidori is confronted with his own inner demons and forbidden desires by telling the story of how he becomes obsessed with his real-life contemporary, Lord George Byron, who becomes an allegory for the character he has created Lord Ruthven.
When these obsessions are revealed, Polidori descends into madness as his mind slowly merges with the fictional character of Aubrey.
Polidoris novel was the source material for many for of the vampire stories that we now know and love and that are so pivotal to centuries of gothic storytelling, said Ward, Producer, and Co-Founder of Milky Way Media.
This is the origin story that preceded Bram Stokers iconic Dracula and it is time this original version was brought to the big screen.
Were eager to breathe new life into this iconic tale, with an incredible cast and the extraordinary writing talents of Rosie and Trisha.
Hamlin added:John Polidori is the father of vampiric literature as we know it and we have him to thank, for everything fromDraculatoTheVampire Diaries.
To date, he has been an overlooked pioneer of Gothic fiction, so it has been a pleasure to revisit this unparalleled novel and rediscover the timeless allure of the vampire mythos.
This story is based around the balance of desire and darkness, love and horror, and the complexity of the mind.
