According to a new and oddly thematic casting rumor, Robert Pattinson may take a detour from his time as The Dark Knight to return to his blood-sucking roots – but not as Twilight‘s sparkling Edward Cullen, but rather the protoypical vampire himself, Dracula.
Announced in 2021 and set to be helmed by Eternals director Chloé Zhao, Uniuversal Studios’ upcoming take on the Bram Stoker’s gothic horror novel will reportedly see tell “a futuristic sci-fi western” story wherein its titular protagonist waking up in the 21st century.
“I’m a huge fan of the book,” Zhao told Variety. “And I wanted to see what essence I can find [in Dracula], and then be able to reimagine this really beloved character I love so much.”
“Chloé’s singular lens shines a light on stories of the overlooked and misunderstood,” added Universal president Peter Cramer. “We are thrilled to be working with her as she reimagines one of the most iconic outsider characters ever created.”
Though developments on the project have remained entirely mum in the two years since its announcement, it seems Zhao and Universal may be making progress on its casting.
Sparkling right off Lionsgate’s recent announcement that a television reboot of the multi-billion-dollar Twilight franchise is in the works, noted film analyst and scooper Daniel Richtman (via World of Reel) has reported that Pattinson is in talks to play Dracula‘s lead role.
Given that Pattinson is still on track to reprise his role as Bruce Wayne in The Batman – Part 2, should this rumor actually come to fruition, it will be interesting to see what effects the actor’s schedule will have on the production of these two ‘batty’ outings.
As of this writing, Zhao’s Dracula is still in development and currently has no timeline for its release.
