Universal Monster Reboot Unlikely to Get Sequel
The Last Voyage of the Demeter doesn't currently look to be getting a follow-up.
Bram Stoker's Dracula has inspired countless tales of terror, whether they be direct adaptations or merely borrowed a page from the vampiric mythology, but producer of this year's The Last Voyage of the Demeter Brad Fischer recently cast doubt on the movie getting a sequel. Even though the film ended with Corey Hawkins' Clemens surviving the ordeal and seemingly using what he learned about Dracula to continue searching for answers, Fischer admitted that there haven't been substantial conversations about continuing Clemens' journey. The Last Voyage of the Demeter is available now on home video, which includes deleted scenes.
"We had two Dracula movies this year, so clearly, there's a lot of imagination out there, running through the heads of creatives about what you can do with that character and story," Fischer shared with SYFY WIRE. "[Robert Eggers'] Nosferatu is also coming out next year. So no, we haven't really talked about continuing Clemens' story specifically. But the Dracula novel is so epic and there's so much story there ... I'm sure that there will be more Dracula-inspired stories and narratives that end up being committed to screen."
The other Dracula film the producer referenced was Renfield, which followed the assistant of the iconic vampire. Rather than either film being direct adaptations of Stoker's novel, Last Voyage adapted one specific chapter from that story that most adaptations breeze through and Renfield focused its story on Dracula's assistant as opposed to the more well-known threat. Nosferatu is a revival of 1922's Nosferatu, which was a loose adaptation of Stoker's novel that avoided using specific references to Dracula, as it was an unauthorized take on the material.
All that to say, there's a wealth of storytelling potential for Dracula and filmmakers will likely continue to explore the concept in unconventional ways, with the filmmakers behind Last Voyage being more interested in telling that story as opposed to igniting a long-running narrative.
These comments also confirm a more promising future for the Universal Monsters than a previous perspective. Back in 2017, the Tom Cruise-starring The Mummy landed in theaters, which was set to kick off a shared universe of reboots, but that film's shortcomings killed the Dark Universe with its first entry. In 2020, The Invisible Man was a standalone reinvention of the source material that was a hit with both audiences and critics alike. By allowing films like Invisible Man or Last Voyage to be standalone adaptations, audiences can enjoy the adventure without the pressure of knowing there could be countless crossovers in the future.
The Last Voyage of the Demeter is out now on home video.
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