Four years ago, we heard that Tea Shop Productions, the company behind 47 Meters Down, had hired Imitation Girl and Lucky director Natasha Kermani to write and direct a feature adaptation of Joe Hill‘s short story Abraham’s Boys. Two months ago, we finally got an update on the project when it was announced that RLJE Films and the Shudder streaming service had acquired the worldwide distribution rights to the film. They’re planning to bring it to theatres (under the title Abraham’s Boys: A Dracula Story) on July 11th, and with that date right around the corner, a trailer has dropped online. You can watch it in the embed above.
The Abraham in question here is vampire hunter Abraham Van Helsing as Hill’s action-horror story is described as a “follow-up of sorts” to Bram Stoker’s Dracula. The story tests the relationships Stoker formed in his original novel. The plot follows Max and Rudy Van Helsing, who know nothing of their father Abraham’s past and cannot understand his overprotective attitude and strange behavior. To make matters worse, Abraham is becoming increasingly more unhinged, paranoid, and violent. The film centers on Max and Rudy Van Helsing, who both struggle under their overprotective father, Abraham. After they dig into Abraham’s history with Dracula, Max and Rudy’s world unravels as they discover the history and legacy they have unknowingly inherited.
Abraham’s Boys stars Titus Welliver (Bosch), Jocelin Donahue (The House of the Devil), Judah Mackey (The Young and the Restless), Aurora Perrineau (Westworld), and Brady Hepner (The Black Phone, another Joe Hill adaptation).
Tim Wu and James Howard Herron of Illium Pictures produced the film alongside and James Harris and Leonora Darby of Tea Shop Productions. Abraham’s Boys has been rated R for bloody violence and grisly images.
RLJE Films’ Chief Acquisitions Officer Mark Ward provided the following statement: “We can’t wait to bring Abraham’s Boys to audiences and expand the Dracula legacy with a fresh and compelling perspective. Natasha Kermani has woven a gripping, character-driven horror story that drags Van Helsing’s past into the light — whether his sons are ready for it or not.” Kermani added, “It was a joy to bring Joe Hill’s dark, gothic story to the screen on location in California, with a fantastic Los Angeles cast and crew, and I’m so excited to now be able to share the film with audiences all over the world alongside my friends at RLJE Films and Shudder.“
What did you think of the Abraham’s Boys trailer? Will you be catching this movie on the big screen in July? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
