NBC is getting into the Halloween spirit--and jumping onto the supernatural bandwagon--with its new series, "Dracula."
"Dracula" will be a new iteration of Bram Stoker's 1897 tale of an undead, bloodthirsty vampire. Yet, this time the demon is the strikingly handsome Jonathan Rhys Meyers, which already puts a very modern twist on the classic macabre story.
Meyers, who is known for his work in "Match Point" and "The Tudors," will still play Dracula as a demonic bloodhound. He will even use a demonhead sword and Vlad the Impaler-embossed gold pieces. (Vlad was the 15th century Romanian dictator who was the original inspiration for the "Dracula" vampire legend.) And like the original novel, it will be set in 19th century London.
However, there will be some new twists in the story. Meyers' Count Dracula will pose as an American industrialist who wants to introduce modern science, such as wireless electricity, into Victorian society, The Hollywood Reporter confirms. He will live in a "Great Gastby"-esque mansion with cutting edge inventions of the time, such as telephones, electric carriages and the cinema.
British production designer Rob Harris ("Mr. Selfridge," "Hornblower,") introduced the advanced technology of 1896 into the show to have a different take on the classic horror tale. "The idea was to make it as interesting as we could and do a new take," Harris said. "It gives you more scope to invent your world."
The sets for the show were built on two soundstages in Budapest. The production crew found that Budapest, the capital of Hungary, was a good substitute for London because the city also has centuries-old streets and buildings. The crew had to build around 150 sets for the series' 10 episodes.
The design for Dracula's mansion, Carfax Manor, "came from a very rich person's house in London from the period. We didn't want Gothic or a castle tower. It's kind of similar to an 1896 Great Gatsby with strong colors," Harris said.
Besides creating a multitude of sets, another challenge was figuring out to depict Dracula's shadowy world, as he, of course, only goes out at night because sunlight will kill him. "We had to do a lot of dramatic lighting to make it look interesting. Dracula lives in a twilight world," Harris said.
Another new development is that unlike the classic monster, Meyers' Dracula doesn't sleep in a coffin in mounds of soil from Transylvania. "He will sleep in an actual bed," Harris revealed.
Watch an extended promo for "Dracula," which airs on NBC Friday, October 25 at 10 p.m.
- Contribute to this Story:
- Send us a tip
- Send us a photo or video
- Suggest a correction
