For fans of Blaxploitation and cult horror, a grudge match long in the making will finally come to fruition. In the 1972 film Blacula, Nigerian Prince Mamuwalde asks Count Dracula for help in ending the slave trade. Not being one for benevolence, Dracula turns him into a vampire and seals him and his wife in a crypt for centuries, starving the latter to death. Blacula — named such by the original Count — awakens in the ’70s, and seeks out a woman who resembles the possible reincarnation of his deceased spouse. But even in a subsequent sequel, he never got his revenge on the original vampire.
Per The Hollywood Reporter, the vampires will finally face off in the first of three comics set for release next year. The books have been a passion project pursuit for writer-producer Rodney Barnes, who spent years tracking down the rights. Best known as a writer and producer on TV shows like Marvel’s Runaways and American Gods, Barnes has also written for Marvel Legacy’s Falcon, and a Star Wars Lando Calrissian miniseries.
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Regarding his approach to the character, Barnes notes, “Blacula and Dracula have lived for hundreds of years. They’ve seen it all. So they have a different perspective, being able to hear the past, speak to the present. You really don’t have that with any other monsters because other monsters are just monsters, but vampires are manipulative. They also have good memories. They know who they were.”
Should the comic succeed, Barnes also hopes to bring the character to TV. MGM is separately pursuing a movie remake.
Are you excited to see a Blacula revival? Let us know in comments!
Recommended Purchase: Blacula – The Complete Collection [DVD] [Blu-ray]
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