It feels like it’s been forever since Universal announced that director André Øvredal (The Autopsy of Jane Doe, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark) would next be tackling The Last Voyage of the Demeter, a feature-length adaptation of one single chapter from Bram Stoker’s Dracula. We’ve been waiting not-so-patiently to get a look at this one ever since, and … well, guess what? Today’s our lucky day.
Please enjoy the first trailer for The Last Voyage of the Demeter:
Whew, buddy. Worth the wait, says I! This looks great – atmospheric, appropriately claustrophobic, grisly (check out that dude burning alive!), and featuring a very creepy-looking version of Dracula. And not for nothing, but: The Last Voyage of the Demeter is a project that bounced around Hollywood in many iterations across many years before this version finally made its way over the starting line, and it’s just plain exciting to see it in action (and looking so damn sharp).
Here’s an official plot synopsis, for those unfamiliar with this particular corner of Dracula mythology:
Based on a single chilling chapter from Bram Stoker’s classic novel Dracula, The Last Voyage of the Demeter tells the terrifying story of the merchant ship Demeter, which was chartered to carry private cargo—fifty unmarked wooden crates—from Carpathia to London.
Strange events befall the doomed crew as they attempt to survive the ocean voyage, stalked each night by a merciless presence onboard the ship. When the Demeter finally arrives off the shores of England, it is a charred, derelict wreck. There is no trace of the crew.
And good lord, just look at the lineup they put together for the cast:
The film stars Corey Hawkins (In the Heights, Straight Outta Compton) as Clemens, a doctor who joins the Demeter crew, Aisling Franciosi (Game of Thrones, The Nightingale) as an unwitting stowaway, Liam Cunningham (Game of Thrones, Clash of the Titans) as the ship’s captain and David Dastmalchian (Dune, the Ant-Man franchise) as the Demeter’s first mate.
Yes, that’s right, FANGORIA Fave and cinematic rabbit’s foot David Dastmalchian’s onboard for this one (no pun intended). This probably goes without saying, but if you make a horror movie with David Dastmalchian in it, we’re gonna show up – and it’s probably gonna be great.
Oh, and here’s a poster:
The Last Voyage of the Demeter will hit theaters on August 11th. Stay tuned between now and then for further updates, of which I am sure there will be many. We’re super excited for this one and will be keeping a close eye on things as it works its way to theaters.
