Dracula’s Daughter: Radio Silence takes the helm of Universal monster movie

Radio Silence, the filmmaking team that brought Ready or Not, Scream (2022), and Scream VI to the screen, has come on board a Universal Monsters project that was previously going by the title Dracula’s Daughter. Radio Silence members Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett will be directing the film, while the third member of the trio, Chad Villella, will be producing. Their Scream movie collaborators William Sherak, Paul Neinstein, and James Vanderbilt of Project X Entertainment will also be producing the monster movie alongside their Ready or Not producer Tripp Vinson. Jay Polidoro, Holly Goline, Kelly Cannon, and Jacqueline Garell are overseeing the project for Universal.

Stephen Shields wrote the initial screenplay for this take on Dracula’s Daughter, and Guy Busick (who co-wrote the two recent Scream movies with Vanderbilt) has since done some revisions. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the project was said to center on a group of kidnappers who abduct a band of young people, one of which ends up being the titular character. Woe then befalls the kidnappers. It’s not clear if anything more substantial than the title is going to change as Radio Silence takes control of the story.

Universal indicated to The Hollywood Reporter that the project falls in the lane of such films as Leigh Whannell’s The Invisible Man and the upcoming Renfield, Adam McKay’s take on a Dracula side character — movies that provide “a unique take on legendary monster lore and will represent a fresh, new direction for how to celebrate these classic characters.” Universal previously released a movie called Dracula’s Daughter in 1936, telling the story of “Countess Marya Zaleska (Gloria Holden), the daughter of Count Dracula and herself a vampire. Following Dracula’s death, she believes that by destroying his body, she will be free of his influence and live normally. When this fails, she turns to a psychiatrist, Dr. Jeffrey Garth (Otto Kruger). The Countess kidnaps Dr. Garth’s assistant, Janet (Marguerite Churchill), and takes her to Transylvania, leading to a battle between Dr. Garth and the Countess in an attempt by him to save Janet.”

Are you glad to hear that Radio Silence is entering the world of the Universal Monsters? Does this project sound interesting to you, whether it’s called Dracula’s Daughter or not? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

Radio Silence is also developing an Escape from New York “requel“.