Dracula Year Zero Rises at Universal

[Doctor Jones]

The title kinda sucks. But this should be interesting. How Pryas described it made me interested in it.

 

[DACrowe]

Coppola's movie is a flawed one that moves, I believe as Roger Ebert observed, like an opera with a series of climaxes and melodrama and little sense of pacing in between them. And the casting of Reeves is just entertaining.

The movie is a visual triumph that still blows me away, has amazing cinematography, costumes, set design, etc. It has one of the most rich and gorgeous scores I've ever heard that is haunting and had a pretty strong plot (probably because in the basics it is like the book). And certain scenes, still hit with full-gun power. Such as all the early scenes with Dracula, Harker and the wives. When Dracula attacks Lucy (all three times are amazing), etc. And Oldman, Hopkins and Ryder had so much fun that it was fun to watch.

But it was not faithful to the book. Certain scenes, like my favorite one when the hunters encounter Lucy or the early scenes with Dracula and Harker are. But as a whole it is a gothic love story crossed with a horror movie that is kind of like the book in a broad sense.

But thematically they are nothing alike, which is why I did not like Coppola's film on my first viewing. But if you view it as a separate piece of art, I don't see how it can't be enjoyable. Also, if you have the DVD watch the alternate scene, it needs to be lengthened a little more and cleaned up but it is a much better ending than the one in the movie and closer to the book, but they dropped it for the more "romantic" one we got.

Also, if you listen to the commentary, Coppola does say in his own way that he realizes it is not close to the book. He says it is not the scariest Dracula film because it is too focused on the romance and he probably would not have emphasized the romance that way. But he was hired to make Hart's script, and Hart added the romance. As the romance was part of the package to the producers, Coppola made it that way, because he had lost some clout after the Godfather Part III debacle and that is why it is not the definitive Dracula movie he would have made.

Very interesting.

 

[WeaponXProject]

I think Coppola's version was good but flawed. I just remembered I didn't like Keanu in the movie; he was awful. usually i'm not hard on his acting but that has to be his worst.

I don't remember much besides Keanu sucking and how cool Gary Oldman looked. Does the movie even open with the guy as a guest in Dracula's castle then realizing he's imprisoned. Harker or Hawthorne? I love that part of the book.

If they were to adapt Stoker's it would have to be like 3 and half hours long to hit it perfectly, IMO.

The title is almost as bad as X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

 

[Nivek]

Wasn't Johnny Depp cast as Johnathan Harker, but was recast with Keanu? Not saying that much, Harker has to be played as kind of a nit wit to stay put given the stuff he goes through just getting to the castle.

 

[CrimsonMist]

Wasn't Johnny Depp cast as Johnathan Harker, but was recast with Keanu? Not saying that much, Harker has to be played as kind of a nit wit to stay put given the stuff he goes through just getting to the castle.

I think Depp was considered for Harker, but Coppola wanted someone who could more relate to teenage girls or something. Atleast that's what i recall hearing.

Harker is kind of a nitwit, but not much really happens to him to get to the castle. It's hardly as crazy as what he goes through in the Coppola film. And even so, Reeves wasn't even a convincing nitwit. All he convinced me of was that he acting sucks.

and i think you could successfully adapt the book straight into 2/2 & a half hours. Certain things need to stay and certain things can go. But no one's really ever attempted it, so who knows?

Anyways, 1. "Dracula: Year Zero" is a dumb title. 2. Dracula should be evil and somewhat egotistical, and a strategic genius. That is how Van Helsing describes the pre-vampire Dracula in the novel. He studies black arts and becomes proficient in alchemy and magic. He uses these powers to return from the dead as a vampire. And basically, these abilities are what gives him his powers as a vampire.

He should not be tragic. They should play up the tragedy for his surrounding characters, but not him. We should hate him by the end of the film.

The basis of his origins are laid out in the book. Use them.

 

[Nivek]

But Dracula, regardless of how he was played in the book as an ominous shadow, is like a rock star now. You have to develop his character now.

 

[AnorexicBatman]

Sequel should be called THE DARK KNIGHT.... wait what???
Seriously... have Bale play him and you got Batman with MAGIC!!!
This is what Universal is trying to do..

Van Helsing: I never gave you my blood!
Dracula: And you'll never have to! *swoops down*

Drac: Vampires are dying ... what would you have me do?
Helsing: Endure... you could be the outcast... wait you already are! zing!

 

[Boom]

I know the story has been done to death, but I agree with a few posters here. I'd love a faithful adaptation of the novel, with a Dracula that actually fits the damn description in the book:
-long white mustache
-long, bushy hair
-thick eyebrows
-hawk-like nose
-strong jaw
-high forehead.
-etc.
Gary Oldman's version came close, but I'd like to see a version where I can sit back and say, "Wow, he stepped right out of the novel."

And maybe it's just me, but Dracula has never read as a tragic character.

 

[AnorexicBatman]

They try to make every hero tragic...
Next thing you know.. there is going to be a movie about Lucifer where he is some punk kid with family issues... oh wait... Little Nicky

 

[Brian Braddock]

I know the story has been done to death, but I agree with a few posters here. I'd love a faithful adaptation of the novel, with a Dracula that actually fits the damn description in the book:
-long white mustache
-long, bushy hair
-thick eyebrows
-hawk-like nose
-strong jaw
-high forehead.
-etc.
Gary Oldman's version came close, but I'd like to see a version where I can sit back and say, "Wow, he stepped right out of the novel."

And maybe it's just me, but Dracula has never read as a tragic character.

 

[Doctor Jones]

I remember watching that Lee's filma long time ago.

I remember this great shot of him scaling down the castle wall at night. That blew me and brother away for that time when it was done.

 

[Dark Victory]

^That shot with Gary Oldman in Coppola's film still creeps me out to this day.

 

[TheFuture]

^That shot with Gary Oldman in Coppola's film still creeps me out to this day.

And I thought I was the only one freaked out by that scene. Then again, it wasn't the only scene that freaked me out. Such an excellent job in regards to make-up and visuals.

 

[Kirk Langstrom]

http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=52406

EXCL: Alex Proyas' Dracula Year Zero Update
Source: Edward Douglas
January 29, 2009


ComingSoon.net/ShockTillYouDrop.com just got off the phone with filmmaker Alex Proyas (The Crow, Dark City) after talking briefly about his upcoming sci-fi thriller Knowing, starring Nicolas Cage. Proyas has been hard at work in the post-production of the film, but we wondered if there'd been any progress on the two other films he'd been developing, The Tripods, based on the series by John Christopher, and Dracula Year Zero, a proposed origin story for Bram Stoker's legendary vampire.

Both are still in active development so either could be Proyas' next project. "I'm working on a bunch of different things and the two projects I'm excited about are an adaptation of John Christopher's The Tripod stories that I've co-written with Stuart Hazeldine, who is one of our writers on 'Knowing', and the Dracula project," the Australian filmmaker told us. "Both are very exciting projects but at this stage, we're still in the budgeting process for both, so I can't really tell you much more than that."

"I'm not a fan of remakes or sequels — I haven't done any and I'm not really that excited by them usually," Proyas said when asked about his decision to make a movie based on a character whose had an extensive life in film. "In the case of Dracula, the reason I got excited about the project is I read a particular script that puts the whole legend on its head in every conceivable way and comes out with something that is both a kind of an ode to Bram Stoker's original Dracula, in that it's kind of a prequel to that, but it also redefines the character to such an extent that I found it quite exciting, so that is very much a kind of reinvention of that character and it's why I got excited about it."

Knowing opens on March 20, 2009. Look for the full interview with Proyas over on ComingSoon.net shortly before then.

Ok. NOW im stoked!

 

[Metamorpho1977]

Do we really need yet another Dracula movie?

Someone asked the same exact question in 1950 when they did Dracula meets Abbott and Costello.

 

[Kirk Langstrom]

Someone asked the same exact question in 1950 when they did Dracula meets Abbott and Costello.

They never did a Dracula meets Abbott & Costello movie....

Do you mean Abbott & Costello meet Frankenstein? That movie is great!

 

[Dark Victory]

They never did a Dracula meets Abbott & Costello movie....

Do you mean Abbott & Costello meet Frankenstein? That movie is great!

Didn't they make one about a huge monster mash with Dracula, Wolfman, and Frankenstein? I swear I saw it, but I could just be confused with another monster movie.

 

[Kirk Langstrom]

Didn't they make one about a huge monster mash with Dracula, Wolfman, and Frankenstein? I swear I saw it, but I could just be confused with another monster movie.

Yes. Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein.

 

[killingfields]

maybe your thinking of Monster Squad?

 

[dark_b]

http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=62683

UPDATE: Heat Vision has confirmed Latino Review's scoop that Sam Worthington is in talks for the role.

 

[Orb]

Noo!!Please don't let Sam get it!

 

[Dr. Evil]

Sam Worthington is rumored....wow, he's going to end up being overexposed.

 

[TheComicbookKid]

I knew vampires were Australians!

 

[xwolverine2]

oh godddd........ there goes my interest in this.



sam worthington needs to go back to acting school... he's the dullest actor in existance. How he's getting these big roles is beyond me.

 

[Project862006]

acting school?

GTFO