Back in December, word came that Neil Marshall had FINALLY landed another theatrical production that looked like it might actually get off the ground. Said project was Hellfest, CBS Films bid at potentially creating a potential new slasher icon and franchise. Hellfest is still on the way and Marshall is still directing, so no worries there. Last we heard it was going through a rewrite and still on target to be shot later this year. Ole’ Neil won’t be resting on his laurels afterwards though…
Marshall is currently in talks to direct the long in-development The Last Voyage of the Demeter for Millennium Films. The project was previously with Phoenix Pictures and has seen a bunch of directors come and go (Slade, Nispel, Schwentke, etc.). Last year Noomi Rapace and Ben Kingsley were linked to the film, but I’m guessing both have moved on at this point.
For those not aware, the plot revolves around Count Dracula’s journey from Transylvania to England aboard the ship Demeter. The tale was recounted in the form of the ship’s log in Stoker’s novel. It’s basically period piece version of Alien, with Drac picking off the ship’s crew one by one.
Personal thoughts? Marshall could certainly knock this material out of the park and is by far the best director attached to this film to date. Given its troubled past though, let’s hope it actually gets made with Neil at the helm. While I am far more interested in his stack of original scripts getting made, Marshall is probably going to need a couple hits before he can garner the clout to get them off the ground and studio properties like Hellfest and The Last Voyage of the Demeter are excellent places to start. Both are within his wheelhouse and I look forward to seeing them within the next couple years.
In the meantime, we can all check out Neil’s latest work on HBO come May 27th. Marshall directed the “Blackwater” episode on this season of Game of Thrones. Well, that and spend our time hoping he can get Fassbender to re-team with him to play Dracula!
Source | Dark Horizons