‘Blacula’ Reboot Will Resurrect The Legendary Blaxploitation Horror Character
Blaculais rising from the dead once again. ABlaculareboot is in the works atMGM, which is teaming up withBronand theHidden Empire Film Groupfor a “modern reimagining” of the 1972 Blaxploitation horror classic.Varietyreports that MGM, Bron, and Hidden Empire Film Group’s Deon and Roxanne Avent Taylor are teaming up to rebootBlacula, a modern reimagining that will pick up where the original saga left off with 1973’sScream Blacula Scream. It apparently will beverytimely, taking place a metropolitan city post-coronavirus pandemic.
Here’s the description for theBlaculareboot, per Variety:
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.
Deon Taylor(the Hilary Swank-starring erotic thrillerFatale) will direct theBlaculareboot, from a script co-written withMicah Ranum. Roxanne Avent Taylor is producing the movie on behalf of Hidden Empire Film Group. Aaron L. Gilbert will produce on behalf of Bron, with DJ Holloway managing the project.
“Blaculais 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,” Taylor said in a statement announcing the new project. Taylor emphasized the importance of the originalBlacula, which was directed by William Crain and starred William Marshall as the African prince who gets turned into a vampire by the legendary Count Dracula:
“Growing up in Gary, IN, I loved watchingBlaculaand was so proud that William Marshall 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!”
Looking Back at Blacula
Originally released in 1972 by American International Pictures,Blaculawas a low-budget horror movie that unexpectedly turned into a box office sensation, becoming one of the highest-grossing films of the year. It was hailed for its majority-Black ensemble, led by Marshall and including Denise Nicholas and the late Vonetta McGee and Thalmus Rasulala, and has been embraced as a touchstone of Blaxploitation cinema.
Despite its campy-sounding name, it was not a satire but a straightforward horror film, inspiring a wave of Blaxploitation-themed horror movies that would follow. It also spawned a sequelScream Blacula Screamin 1973. The movie was later acquired by MGM through the studio’s acquisition of Orion Pictures.
