The Blaxpolitation Horror Movie Classic BLACULA Is Being Rebooted
MGM and Bron are teaming up with Hidden Empire Film Group to produced a reboot of the 1972 blaxploitation horror classic Blacula.
The new movie is described as a modern reimagining of the original movie, and it “picks up where the original saga left off, after the 1973 sequel Scream Blacula Scream and will be set in a metropolitan city post-coronavirus pandemic.” Here’s a description that was shared:
Blacula is an ancient African prince who is cursed by Dracula after he fails to agree to end the slave trade. 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.
I haven’t watched the original Blacula film since I was in high school, and I remember my friends and I had a great time watching it. It was just such a fun flick! That original movie was directed by William Crain and starred William Marshall as Blacula.
The new film is being directed by Deon Taylor from a script he co-wrote with Micah Ranum. Taylor said in a statement, “Blacula is arguably one of the most prestigious Black franchises 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." He added:
“Growing up in Gary, IN, I loved watching ‘Blacula’ and was so proud that Richard Brown was a fellow Gary native. It’s mind-blowing that this franchise never got the energy or appreciation that other genre films received over the years, but this reboot is about to change all that. Thank you to Aaron, Brenda and team Bron as well as everyone at MGM for joining us on this adventure. We promise to bring new life to the iconic ‘Blacula’ character that will resonate with audiences worldwide!”
Producer Aaron L. Gilbert went on to say, “I am thrilled to be collaborating with Deon, Roxanne, and the team at Hidden Empire — all proven forces to be reckoned with, on Blacula. It is my hope that our reimagining of the film will open a dialogue among us.”
What do you all thin about Blacula getting the reboot treatment? I’m not really that surprised by the news. It was only a matter of time.
Source: Variety