![BBC has tapped "Sherlock" creators Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat to create "Dracula." [Image via Flickr/Gage Skidmore]](https://staticr1.blastingcdn.com/media/photogallery/2017/6/21/660x290/b_502x220x82/sherlock-creators-mark-gatiss-and-steven-moffat-will-do-dracula-flickrgage-skidmore_1398611.jpg "BBC has tapped \"Sherlock\" creators Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat to create \"Dracula.\" [Image via Flickr/Gage Skidmore]")
"sherlock" creators Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat are going to work on a new TV series. BBC has tapped the duo for a re-imagining of "Dracula" on the small screen.
Various reports say that the show will follow a similar format as "Sherlock" where the episodes are 90-minutes long but the seasons only comprise three episodes each and thus will be considered as a miniseries. BBC also intends to partner with other broadcasters, especially in the United States, to launch "Dracula" internationally.
A launching pad for stardom
When Gatiss and Moffat picked out Benedict Cumberbatch to star in "Sherlock," which first aired on BBC and PBS in 2010, he was still a relative unknown in the international scene.
It was this series that launched his face and name among viewers globally.
It is expected that "Dracula" will also be the launching pad for stardom for one lucky actor. But so far, no scripts for the TV series has been written as development deals are still being narrowed down. Thus, casting announcements won't happen until a few months later.
Several versions
Like "Sherlock," the story of "Dracula" has been adapted and retold hundreds of times in both film and television. In 2013, NBC did its own TV series, which starred Jonathan Rhys Meyers. The show, however, was cancelled after one season for poor ratings.
The popular cable drama "Penny Dreadful" also featured a character inspired by Dracula in its final season in 2016.
Dr. Alexander Sweet (Christian Camargo), a zoologist, feasted on blood and took control of Vanessa (Eva Green). He was less evil than others that have come and gone in the mythology.
In good company
"Dracula" on television will be in good company as dark subjects have been trending in entertainment of late. Universal Studios, for instance, wants to do a reboot of classic horror creatures like "The Mummy," "Frankenstein" and "Wolf Man" and "Van Helsing".
Warner Bros., on the other hand, plans to create a dark heroes universe which will feature superheroes with mystical powers, where, incidentally, Benedict Cumberbatch plays one as Dr. Strange.
The announcement comes as Gatiss and Moffat are still unclear on their plan to do a fifth season of "Sherlock." The writer and producer team have not stated if the series is cancelled but their commitment to this new show is already indicative of "Sherlock's" fate. It might as well be so since Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman (John Watson) have a full schedule doing blockbuster movies lately.
