Sumith Prasad
The British horror drama ‘The Vampyre: Blood & Ink’ will commence filming between January and March 2024, pushed from its earlier date of late 2023, across the UK and Northern Italy. Debutant director and writer Trisha Ward and screenwriter Rosanna Hamlin bring the 18th century story of a young Englishman, Aubrey, who is fascinated by the noble Lord Ruthven with his charming personality. But Aubrey does not know what dark secrets are in store for him as he learns more about Ruthven.
The scenic alleys of Northern Italy, as well as the dark moors of the UK countryside, would make for an exceptional setting for this gothic film, produced by John Dodds and John Ward. From the official Instagram page of the movie, it is clear the production team has found astounding locations for ‘Blood & Ink’ like a dilapidated castle in Trentino, Italy, that’s straight out of a nightmare. Filled with beauty and dread, it’s a perfect dwelling for a vampire! In England, the crew have checked out the Holy Island, Lindisfarne, and the Bamburgh Castle for the shoot.
The gothic film is adapted for the screen from the classic novel, ‘The Vampyre’ (1918) by John William Polidori, which is approximately 80 years older than Bram Stoker’s terrifying ‘Dracula’. Apparently, Polidori had an unhealthy obsession with his friend and contemporary poet, Lord George Byron, whose parallels are drawn with Lord Ruthven in the book. This is where it all started – and we now have a landmine of artistic creations filled with vampires as subjects of fear, affection, and even lust. ‘Bood & Ink’ stars Derek Jacobi (‘Gladiator’), Malcolm McDowell (‘A Clockwork Orange’), Bill Fellows (‘Ted Lasso’), Amelia Gething (‘Emily’) and Amelia Clarkson in lead roles. The A-lister cast makes it an all the more interesting film that’s on every horror fan’s radar.
John Ward, who is also the co-founder of Milky Way Media said in an interview: “Polidori’s novel was the source material for many forms of the vampire stories that we now know and love and that are so pivotal to centuries of gothic storytelling.” He also added why it was important to bring such an old story to the fore: “This is the origin story that preceded Bram Stoker’s iconic ‘Dracula’ – and it is time this original version was brought to the big screen. We’re eager to breathe new life into this iconic tale, with an incredible cast and the extraordinary writing talents of Rosie and Trisha.”
First-time screenwriter Hamlin also said, “This story is based around the balance of desire and darkness, love and horror, and the complexity of the mind.” The film’s casting is done by Louise Collins and the costume design for the historical drama has gone to Hilary Hughes. The release date of ‘Blood & Ink’ remains unknown at this point.
