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Rogue Enters Anderson's Castlevania
Source: Variety
November 2, 2006


Universal Pictures genre label Rogue has boarded Paul W.S. Anderson's Castlevania, the $50 million video game adaptation produced and co-financed by Crystal Sky Entertainment.

Rogue will distribute the film in North America and is also taking rights in the U.K., Spain and German-speaking territories. Crystal Sky is handling sales for the rest of the world.

Anderson's script spans many time periods but mostly takes place in 15th century Transylvania. It represents a fresh take on the much-filmed Dracula legend, mining back to its genesis in the story of the Romanian prince Vlad the Impaler.

"You could almost call this movie 'Dracula Begins,'" Anderson said.

"It's an action/horror project in the vein of 'Underworld' and 'Blade,' and hopefully it will be a big franchise for us," Rogue co-president Andrew Rona said.

"Castlevania" is a long-running game franchise by Japan's Konami. It focuses on the duel across the centuries between Dracula and the vampire-hunting Belmont family, played out within Dracula's vast, labyrinthine castle.

Anderson and his producing partner Jeremy Bolt are scouting locations in Hungary and Romania, with a view to shooting next spring. The castle interiors will be constructed in Budapest.