It's going to be another landmark year for "Sherlock" duo Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat. The two are due to start with the production of their version of "Dracula" in early 2019 and there are high expectations this new TV series will replicate the success of "Sherlock."
Gatiss confirmed via Radio Times that "Dracula" will finally roll the cameras at the beginning of 2019. The creator has been hatching the series' first installment with Moffat since 2017 and stated that work on the series has been a very smooth ride so far.
The executive producers have cast Claes Bang to star in the adaptation. Gatiss told Digital Spy that the Danish actor was their only choice for the role. They didn't have to look for any other actor to play Dracula just like when they had Benedict Cumberbatch as their sole choice for "Sherlock."
Gatiss revealed that they watched Bang's 2017 movie "The Square" upon someone's recommendation. They know they found the perfect actor because Bang looks like a cross between Bela Lugosi and Christopher Lee, who were two of the most notable actors who have played the iconic role before. Bang also had such an amazing presence on the screen, which will be vital to his character.
"Dracula" is a BBC and Netflix collaboration and will have three episodes that extend to more than 60 minutes each, similar to "Sherlock." The show will also be a period piece set in Victorian London but viewers can expect that there will be some CGI elements to the filming process.
Not much is known about the plot to the new series but the producers teased the evil count will also be intelligent, witty, charismatic and sexy. The show didn't announce other casting details apart from Bang but one other character that viewers will see would be Dracula's nemesis, Professor Abraham Van Helsing.
"Dracula," created by Irish novelist Bram Stroker in 1897, has been done many times before in both films and TV. In 2013, NBC and Carnival Films had a 10-episode production of "Dracula" featuring Jonathan Rhys Meyers in the titular role. The show, however, lasted for one season only.
Meanwhile, Gatiss and Moffat have paused work on "Sherlock" season 5 because of their focus on "Dracula." The pair, however, has not scrapped plans to revisit their well-loved series and BBC has not officially canceled "Sherlock" either. But realistically, it might take a while to put together another season of "Sherlock" if "Dracula" succeeds. BBC has not yet announced the premiere date for "Dracula" as of press time.
