Near Dark, one of the most underrated vampire movies ever made, could be on track to become a TV series. The 1987 neo-Western, starring Bill Paxton, is widely considered a seminal work in the vampire genre, and an essential film by Academy Award-winning director Kathryn Bigelow. The project is reportedly being eyed by independent film studio A24, as part of their expansion into the television medium.
Industry scoop specialist Jeff Sneider is reporting through “The Insneider” that A24 could be picking up a TV adaptation of the classic (via Film Stories). Sneider is also teasing Bigelow’s participation in the series. Originally, the film followed Caleb Colton, a young man from a rural town who gets bitten by a beautiful girl and is forced to join a pack of traveling vampires. The plot synopsis goes as follows:
A small-town farmer’s son reluctantly joins a traveling group of vampires after he is bitten by a beautiful drifter.
Bigelow, famous for her work on The Hurt Locker (for which she won Academy Awards for Best Director and Best Picture) and Zero Dark Thirty, has stayed out of the spotlight since 2017’s Detroit. Her next film is a political thriller starring Idris Elba, which is set to be released by Netflix sometime in the future.
A24 is still relatively new to the TV format, having produced shows like Ramy, Beef, and The Curse. A Near Dark TV series could be part of their objective to revive classic horror IPs, as they’re also backing the revival of Friday the 13th with a prequel series titled Crystal Lake.
Near Dark stars Paxton along with Jenette Goldstein, Lance Henriksen, Jenny Wright, Adrian Pasdar, and Joshua John Miller, among others. Upon release, it was well-received (it still holds an 83% score on Rotten Tomatoes), and eventually, it became a cult classic. Even though the box office performance was below expectations, Near Dark is regarded as one of the best executions of the vampire subgenre of horror.
Are We Going Through a Vampire Renaissance?
Warner Bros. Pictures
Approximately two years ago, films like Renfield and The Last Voyage of the Demeter presented audiences with two extremely different approaches to the Dracula lore. Despite not being very successful, they proved that Universal Pictures was still willing to bet on the horror subgenre. Smaller films like Netflix’s El Conde and Universal’s Abigail were better received, and they were undeniable proof that the genre was in need of a spin.
Such a spin did not arrive with Robert Eggers’ most recent film. 2024’s Nosferatu was extremely ambitious—a critically acclaimed, scary movie that didn’t change the rules at all, and instead kept all the tropes of the Gothic classic that blends romance and horror. Nevertheless, it received a few nods at the Academy Awards, and the critical reception was excellent.
Nosferatu‘s results were a great precedent for this year’s notable vampire film. Ryan Coogler’s Sinners is the ultimate vampire movie—a radical twist that didn’t feature the usual Gothic backdrop, but still complied with the rules of the genre. It will surely land more than a few nominations.
It’s all part of a vampire renaissance. An unexpected horror milestone that will only get stronger if the TV version of Near Dark ends up happening. At the same time, Buffy the Vampire Slayer will return for more adventures in hunting bloodsuckers. And if you’re into the weird B-side of the vampire subgenre, just wait for Panos Cosmatos’ Flesh of the Gods. The movie stars Oscar Isaac, Kristen Stewart, and Elizabeth Olsen, and it is certain to make a few heads turn.
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