by Sarabeth Pollock:
It’s no secret that NBC has a large presence at San Diego Comic Con this year. They have taken over an entire block outside of the San Diego Convention Center to showcase their current and future shows, such as Grimm and Revolution. But it’s Dracula that really stands out.
Jonathan Rhys Meyers stars as the dark hero, Dracula. The show is set in 19th century London, and the sets look positively amazing. The creators of Downton Abbey are behind Dracula, and the NBC people have boldly stated that each show feels like its own movie.
The Premise:
Dracula has been imprisoned after spending three centuries moving across Asia with his vampire brides. The Order of the Dragon entombed him, dooming him to spending eternity in a crypt as a dried husk of a creature with stakes protruding from his body. The Order of the Dragon feared him, but over time Dracula slowly went from “monster, myth, fairytale.” And then they forgot about him.
One of Dracula’s minions, under the guise of a treasure hunter, brings a man into the tomb. The thief immediately finds the gold hidden under the tomb. He is oblivious to his counterpart, who is more interested in the body. “How famished he must be,” the minion mutters. In an instant, he stabs the thief and allows the blood to flow onto the corpse’s face. The body quickens and the tomb comes alive, with gears grinding into life. The visual effects are stunning. The dried husk starts to come back to life. That’s when the preview shifts to an image of Dracula in the bath, alive and in full Dracula glory. Oh yes, the Dark One is awake and he is “ravenous with vengeance.”
The show is set in 19th century London, and there are several twists that take the show away from the traditional Dracula canon. Now Dracula is an American entrepreneur who is bringing electricity to London. He is also working with Van Helsing to seek revenge (they tease us with this but don’t disclose the target of their revenge). Just imagine: Dracula and Van Helsing working together.
I, for one, can’t wait.
Dracula premieres on October 25th on NBC.
Sarabeth Pollock is a contributor for Dark Media. She covers The Walking Dead, True Blood, Doctor Who, Fringe and American Horror Story, as well as the True Blood comics and whatever movies and books happen to catch her fancy. Watch for her coverage of San Diego Comic Con 2013. She’s an avid writer, reader, and pop culture fan, with interest in everything from True Blood to Doctor Who to Anne Rice to Deborah Harkness. Follow her on Twitter at @SarabethPollock and check out her blog at http://sarabethpollock.wordpress.com
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