'Castlevania' Movie Gets a Stake Through the Heart

We just mentioned the rebirth of one video game property - Lara Croft - and now comes news of the premature death of another: Castlevania won't be happening, at least not in the form we thought it would. Paul W.S. Anderson (the Resident Evil movies) was producing and originally hired Sylvain White to direct. After he dropped out, it went into carousel mode and now it appears to be dead. Bloody Disgusting says the film was going to be a sort of Dracula origin story and would focus on the "uprising of the Belmont Clan, a vampire-slaying family who supposedly become humanity's last hope." But that hope, for now, has left humanity out in the cold. Video game movies have all sorts of trouble, and they've been well-documented. You can't really justify a big budget for them - just as you shouldn't an extremely minor comic book character in a lot of cases - because there's just not enough familiarity. That's not as big a deal in this case, because Castlevania has been around for over 20 years in all sorts of iterations. The prevailing wisdom is, however, that video game movies aren't very good and if they arent' very good they won't have big budgets. If they won't have big budgets they won't attract A-list talent. And for bean counters, that's about the end of the equation. I really thought this one had some hope of making it to the big screen, but that looks like a dim hope now.

Comments

[Charcole]

There are some great stories out there in video games that can be told through movies. Castlevania is one of them. But if Paul W.S. Anderson is involved, it is better to not have it made. I'd rather have nothing than the steaming pile of shit it would be with that guy involved. Metal Gear Solid is another video game that would make a great movie... and Bioshock.

I would also just love to see a Prince of Persia movie with some really great actor. Say someone like Jake Gyllenhaal! That would just be splendid! (Last two lines all sarcasm)

[Orinn]

Metal Gear is already very much movie and very little game.

Bioshock would be cool, but the budget needed to recreate a 1920 victorian like city completely underwater with high-tech gadgets.

Castlevania they would of just screwed you up anyway. Watch vanhelsing and pretend it was called castelvania, because thats apparently all we can do with a big budget, and A-list actors. When it's over you will be glad they didn't tarnish the castlevania name.

[Bob]

Can we get a remake of The Wizard soon?

[><]

they don't need A-List actors/actresses to make a movie good... they just need to STICK TO THE STORY.. makes me mad that in any video game/book/comic book they always have to make big changes to their liking rather than whats good for the movie.. like silent hill for instance.. they kept it like the game.. if they do that with castlevania it'll be far more enjoyable.