Sherlock may be over for now, but Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss are reuniting for another literary classic with a brand new Dracula series.
UPDATE, 10/15/2018 – In keeping with the production of Sherlock, Moffat and Gatiss’ new Dracula series will take form in brief seasons comprising 90-minute long episodes. An inceptive three-episode season is now officially in the works, as reported by Entertainment Weekly, and will greet American audiences by way of Netflix; the show will air on the BBC in the United Kingdom. As of yet there is no release date for the show.
6/20/2017 – Via Variety, Moffat and Gatiss are slated to co-write and co-create the new take on Dracula, which is based upon the classic novel by Bram Stoker. It’s unknown if Dracula will follow in Sherlock‘s footsteps by taking place in modern times, but it will adopt the same production format used in the earlier series. This means that Dracula will be produced as a TV miniseries with feature length episodes.
Moffat and Gatiss haven’t even started writing or casting for Dracula, as both men are currently working on separate projects. The duo are reportedly in negotiations with BBC to produce and broadcast the series within the United Kingdom. BBC’s international distribution also went a long way towards making Sherlock a worldwide hit, so Dracula seems very likely to end up there.
Prior to his stint as executive producer and lead writer on Doctor Who, Moffat made a stab at horror with his Jekyll TV series in 2007. Like Sherlock, Jekyll also took place in the present rather than the original time period of the novel. Gatiss also has experience with horror from his adaptation of M.R. James’ The Tractate Middoth in addition to co-writing and starring in a ghost story called Crooked House.
There have been so many adaptations of Dracula in the last 100 years that it is going to take something really special for this one to stand out. As one of the great literary villains of all time, Dracula can easily carry his own stories and withstand multiple interpretations. The important thing for the new series is to make Dracula exciting and terrifying again. It’s not currently clear how Moffat and Gatiss’ take on the character will differ from earlier depictions, but we have faith in their abilities.
Are you excited to see Moffat and Gatiss’ new vision of Dracula? Unleash your fangs in the comment section below!
Images: Universal Pictures
