Castlevania (What to Know) UPDATED: 7/23/09

"Castlevania," a film based on the popular video game franchise by Konami, is now in the early stages of production. The movie, budgeted at $50 million, is expected to become the starting point in a successful franchise for Rogue Pictures, which has agreed to distribute the flick domestically & in a few other markets. The video game, which has long been noted for its eerie visuals & music, looks at the early beginnings of the legendary character of Dracula. The film will be set mostly in the 15th century & has been called as a sort of "Dracula Begins" in the vein of the "Underworld" & "Blade" movies. Writer-director, by luck, Paul W.S. Anderson is no stranger to these types of adaptations having helmed "Mortal Kombat," "Resident Evil," & "AVP" in the past, need I say more.? He & his producing partner Jeremy Bolt are currently scouting locations in Hungary& Romania and are looking to start shooting next spring. The castle interiors will be constructed in Budapest. My fingers are crossed, really crossed.

(Update: 6/14)

Sylvain White (Stomp the Yard) has been set to direct "Castlevania," a live-action adaptation of the Konami vampire video game. Pic will shoot late fall in South Africa and Romania to be released late 2008.While White has deals to develop "Static" at Columbia Pictures and the Frank Miller graphic novel "Ronin" at Warner Bros., "Castlevania" will be the next film he directs.Scripted by Paul W.S. Anderson (Alien vs. Predator), the drama begins as a Transylvanian knight leads his men into a gothic castle to seek refuge from the Turkish army. The knights soon discover the castle is controlled by the original vampire.Anderson wrote the script with the intention to direct, but stepped aside to helm the remake "Death Race." White will work with Anderson on a rewrite.

(Update: 7/23/09)

Sylvain White (Stomp the Yard) & Paul W.S. Anderson have both been replaced & the once dead Castlevania movie is back on track with Saw franchise co-creator & director of Dead Silence & Death Sentence, James Wan, now signed to co-write & direct.