‘The Vampyre: Blood & Ink’: Malcolm McDowell And Derek Jacobi Attached To Lead Feature Adaptation Of John William Polidori’s Classic Gothic Novel

Zac Ntim
·3 min read
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EXCLUSIVE: A feature adaptation of John William Polidori’s classic 19th-century gothic novel The Vampyre, one of the first English language novels to feature blood-sucking creatures, is in the works at Milky Way Media and Malcolm McDowell (A Clockwork Orange) and Derek Jacobi (Murder on the Orient Express) are attached to lead.

We understand production on the pic, titled The Vampyre: Blood & Ink, is set to begin later this year across the UK and Northern Italy. Director is currently under wraps, but the screenplay is by debut writer Rosanna Hamlin, and playwright and director, Trisha Ward (Nightshriek/The Two Wolves), who will both work with producers John Ward (The Two Wolves, Children’s Past Lives), John Dodds (Merchant of Venice, The Man Who Married Himself), and associate producer Jamie Bulman (The Two Wolves).

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Frances Barber (Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool, Dreamland), Amelia Gething (Emily, Mary & George), Amelia Clarkson (Red Rose, The Last Kingdom), and Bill Fellows (Ted Lasso) are also attached to the pic.

Written in 1819, Polidori’s The Vampyre precedes Bram Stoker’s Dracula by nearly a hundred years and holds wide significance within the gothic genre. The Vampyre: Blood & Ink will depict Polidori’s dark account of the famed and mythical creatures. Pic will begin with Lord Ruthven, a mysterious and magnetic nobleman who captivates London society with his charismatic charm. Aubrey, a young Englishman, becomes infatuated with Ruthven and is drawn into a world of secrets and supernatural horror. As Aubrey uncovers the truth about Ruthven’s sinister nature, he finds himself trapped in a perilous battle against the allure of the vampire’s deadly powers.

The film will also explore how Polidori is confronted with his own inner demons and forbidden desires by telling the story of how he becomes obsessed with his real-life contemporary, Lord George Byron, who becomes an allegory for the character he has created – Lord Ruthven. When these obsessions are revealed, Polidori descends into madness as his mind slowly merges with the fictional character of Aubrey.

“Polidori’s novel was the source material for many for of the vampire stories that we now know and love and that are so pivotal to centuries of gothic storytelling,” said Ward, Producer, and Co-Founder of Milky Way Media. “This is the origin story that preceded Bram Stoker’s iconic Dracula – and it is time this original version was brought to the big screen. We’re eager to breathe new life into this iconic tale, with an incredible cast and the extraordinary writing talents of Rosie and Trisha.”

Hamlin added: “John Polidori is the father of vampiric literature as we know it and we have him to thank, for everything from Dracula to The Vampire Diaries. To date, he has been an overlooked pioneer of Gothic fiction, so it has been a pleasure to revisit this unparalleled novel and rediscover the timeless allure of the vampire mythos. This story is based around the balance of desire and darkness, love and horror, and the complexity of the mind.”

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