If it weren’t for its title and its part in the ’70s Blaxploitation movement, Blacula would be considered one of the coolest vampire movies of all time. The film, which follows an African prince made undead by Count Dracula who returns from the grave in 1972 Los Angeles, has a ton of truly creepy moments, and includes an especially rad performance by William Marshall in the title role. Now, it appears as though enough time has passed for the movie to be considered cool again, as it’s been revealed that Blacula will get a remake.
According to Bloody Disgusting, Deon Taylor (The Intruder, Black and Blue) is set to direct a reboot of the franchise, which will pick up after 1973 sequel Scream Blacula Scream left off, and will take place in the modern day shortly after the coronavirus pandemic.
“Blacula is an ancient African prince who is cursed by Dracula after he fails to agree to end the slave trade,” is the current synopsis. “Blacula is entombed and awakens 200 years later ready to avenge the death of his ancestors and of those responsible for robbing his people of their work, culture and heritage as they appropriated it for profit.”
“Blacula is arguably one of the most prestigious Black franchises,” Taylor said in a statement to Variety, “and so important to the culture as it birthed a groundswell of Blaxploitation-horror films, which changed the game for how our people were seen on the big screen,”
Honestly? We’re really interested to see how this works out. Again, Blacula is a horror classic, but it definitely has questionable parts both production-wise and thematically (the two gay decorator characters in the beginning are not the most sensitive representatives of queer culture). The film was semi-remade with Wes Craven’s 1995 film Vampire In Brooklyn, but that was more a reimagining than anything else.
More as we know it, but here’s the trailer for the original.
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Words by Chris Krovatin
