With its horror-movie-inspired world and relentless action, the Castlevania game series always seemed like a prime contender to one day be adapted into a film. Despite attempts to get a Castlevania movie going, the traction has just never been there and it seems now that we will never see the game adapted for the big screen. However, thanks to Netflix, Castlevania will be coming to the small screen as an animated series from the producer of 2012’s Dredd (which could one day get its own animated sequel).
Producer Adi Shankar has made big promises about his Castlevania series, saying it will be the best video game adaptation ever. Now Shankar has come across with a small sampling of the look and feel of his planned series and it’s very much in line with what he has been teasing: something dark and scary and not for kids.
Adi Shankar shared some poster art for Castlevania on Facebook and it’s very much in keeping with the game’s horror influences, while adding an extra layer of the surreal. In the poster (see below), a towering, otherworldly castle rises in front of a blood red moon, bats fluttering all around in the darkness. The architect responsible for this particular edifice may have been inspired by M.C. Escher with just a hint of H.R. Giger.
Adi Shankar says Castlevania will have a super-violent Game of Thrones vibe, so don’t expect a Saturday Morning Cartoon take on the world. If the poster is any indication, the show’s look will be incredibly imaginative and dark. The show’s story involves a character named Simon Belmont, a descendant of legendary vampire hunters, journeying inside Dracula’s castle and doing battle with his family’s ancient adversary.
If the show follows the original game, there will be many more monsters for Belmont to battle, from mummies to Medusas to Frankenstein to the Grim Reaper. The game armed Belmont with a wide assortment of weapons including throwing axes, exploding bottles and a cross-shaped boomerang. Presumably, a lot of these elements will make their way into the show, but with some novel twists as well.
The story and character elements all seem to be in place for the Castlevania show to work, and the linear video game storyline provides a nice spine upon which to build a narrative. The key will be finding a look that both captures the tone of the games and is impressive enough to keep animation fans excited.
Castlevania debuts on Netflix in 2017.
Source: Adi Shankar
