Gina Torres to play one of The Brides of Dracula for ABC

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

A couple months ago, we shared the news that ABC had ordered a pilot for The Brides, a series about the brides of Dracula that has been crafted by Riverdale and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina creator (and CARRIE 2013 and THE TOWN THAT DREADED SUNDOWN 2014 screenwriter) Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa. Aguirre-Sacasa had previously tried to get this project going at NBC in 2015.

Described as a "sexy contemporary reimagining" of Bram Stoker's novel Dracula, The Brides will introduce viewers to 

a trio of empowered, immortal women and the things they do to maintain wealth, prestige, legacy — and their nontraditional family.

The synopsis that was made available in 2015 said the brides 

survived their encounter with Van Helsing centuries ago and are now residing in modern day New York City.

Now we know who will be playing one of the three brides: Gina Torres, who has 90 screen credits to her name. Among those are roles on Xena: Warrior Princess, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Cleopatra 2525, Angel, Firefly, 24, Alias, The Vampire Diaries, Hannibal, Suits, Westworld, and Riverdale, plus she was in the MATRIX sequels. She's a great choice to play one of the leads on this show.

Torres's character is Cleo Phillips. 

One of the three Brides of Dracula and the leader of this vampire trio, Cleo is an imperious woman with a queenly manner — understandably, as she was a queen in her former life who was turned by Dracula after the death of her husband. Now a maven of New York City real estate, Cleo is challenged professionally by a mysterious newcomer — even as her ties to her sisters are dangerously fraying.

Maggie Kiley will be directing the pilot from a script by Aguirre-Sacasa. That duo is also executive producing the show with Greg Berlanti and Sarah Schechter of Berlanti Productions. The Brides is being produced by Warner Bros. Television and ABC Studios.