John William Polidori’s classic 1819 tale The Vampyre is getting a feature film adaptation titled The Vampyre: Blood & Ink Deadline reports.
Clockwork Orange star Malcolm McDowell (31, Halloween 2007) is starring alongside Derek Jacobi (Murder on the Orient Express), Frances Barber (Dreamland), Amelia Gething (Emily, Mary & George), Amelia Clarkson (Red Rose, The Last Kingdom), and Bill Fellows (Ted Lasso) in the film from Milky Way Media.
Rosanna Hamlin and Trisha Ward are adapting the story for the screen.
Deadline states, “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.”
“Polidori’s novel was the source material for many of the vampire stories that we now know and love and that are so pivotal to centuries of gothic storytelling,” said John 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.” Ward continues, “We’re eager to breathe new life into this iconic tale, with an incredible cast and the extraordinary writing talents of Rosie and Trisha.”
The Vampyre was born during a contest of who could write the best story between Polidori, Mary Shelley, Lord Byron, and Percy Shelley. The same contest spawned Mary Shelley’s iconic classic ‘Frankenstein.’
