“Superman” to take on werewolves, vampires and other undead
By Michael Knox, mknox@modnerfilmzine.com
Characters from the popular Italian comic book "Dylan Dog."
Brandon Routh, who became famous for his role in “Superman Returns” has signed on to fight vampires, werewolves, and the undead in the movie adaptation of best-selling Italian comic book series, “Dylan Dog.”
Ashok Amritraj’s Hyde Park Entertainment Group and Platinum Studios Inc. have started production on the film adaptation titled, “Dead of Night.”
The producers have also hired Harvey Lowry and Academy Award-winning DRAC Studios to handle make-up effects. DRAC Studios has been nominated 11 times for Best Achievement in Makeup by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, most recently won for “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” and won twice before for “Bram Stoker’s Dracula” and “Mrs. Doubtfire.”
The film is being directed by Kevin Munroe, whose 2007 re-imagining of “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” resurrected the billion dollar franchise.
Based on the comic book series created by Tiziano Sclavi and published by Italy’s Sergio Bonelli Editore, the comic book series has sold more than 56 million units worldwide and has been translated into 17 languages since its debut in 1986. Principal photography is taking place in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Routh, stars as “Dylan” - a reluctant private investigator who is drawn into the world of vampires, werewolves and the undead .
Munroe plans to focus less on the transformation from human to non-human and more on the seamless interaction between the living and the undead. Writers Joshua Oppenheimer and Thomas Dean Donnelly (“Sahara” and “Conan The Barbarian”) have taken the world of Dylan Dog out of a European setting and given it a New Orleans flavor with its rich bayou and marshland backdrop.
Platinum Studios and the Hyde Park Group are joined in the production with producer Gilbert Adler who produced “Superman Returns” and “Constantine” for Warner Bro..
The film re-teams Adler with star Brandon Routh, who played “Clark Kent/Superman.”
Adler has worked for many years in the thriller/horror genre as a writer, producer and director for numerous “Tales from the Crypt” television episodes and feature films. He also produced “House on Haunted Hill,” “Thirteen Ghosts,” “Ghost Ship” and most recently, “Valkyrie,” his second stint with director Bryan Singer.
