Netflix's library of original content has become one of the most unique collections of shows and films available. That folder just got a bit bigger with the first look at the upcoming Castlevania animated series.
'The Man Who Will Kill Dracula'
The trailer for the new show starts off showing the series' roots in video games. It opens with an original NES that has a cartridge for the show on top of it. Someone comes in and puts in the system and turns it on. The start screen then lists off some of Netflix's other hits, like Stranger Things and House of Cards, before jumping into footage from the actual Castlevania series. From there, it's a montage of bloody action, gothic scenery, and monsters that is synonymous with one of gaming's longest-running series.
While the trailer didn't offer much in the way of plot, anyone familiar with the series can make an educated guess. For anyone unfamiliar, the game series follows the lineage of the Belmont Clan who are locked in an almost never-ending battle with Dracula and the forces of evil. The show's offical description reads as such, as "The last surviving member of a disgraced clan fights to save Eastern Europe from Dracula."
Next TV Obsession?
The series won't have the usual setup of eight to 13 episodes that most shows have. Instead, it will have four 30-minute-long episodes in the first season. This could be Netflix testing the waters to see if the show could be popular before committing to more seasons, though Castlevania did get a good team in place.
Adi Shankar, who produced The Grey and Dredd, is executive producer, while veteran comic writer Warren Ellis will pen the show. This is important for Shankar, especially as he had been trying to get a Castlevania adaptation off the ground for several years.
Let's call a spade a spade, most video game adaptations haven't been the best. Last year saw the release of two game-to-film adaptations in Warcraft and Assassin's Creed, which were not cheap productions either. Warcraft, while it wasn't the best reviewed, was able to do decently at the box office, thanks to the series' massive popularity in China.
Assassin's Creed, on the other hand, was largely panned and performed poorly at the box office. That hasn't stopped studios from trying, with Tomb Raider and Uncharted just two of several game-to-film adaptations in the works.
Castlevania isn't the only game-to-show adaptation Netflix has either. In mid-May, Netflix announced plans to adapt the dark fantasy book and game series, The Witcher, into another original series for the streaming service. While fans shouldn't hold their breaths, given Netflix's track record with original content, there is reason to have some hope for these projects. Castlevania premieres July 7.
