ABC's Dracula-Inspired Pilot Adds Gotham and Timeless Alums

The 2020 pilot season is already getting some interesting entries, including The Brides, an upcoming ABC pilot that is inspired by the Dracula mythos. The potential series, which hails from Riverdale creators Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Greg Berlanti, has already developed quite a star-studded cast -- and now we know who will round out the main cast. According to new reports from TVLine, Timeless alum Goran Visnjic will star in the series as Count Dracula, while Gotham's Erin Richards will play Renee, the third of the count's brides.

The powerful, ageless, and iconic King of Night who "turned" each of his three brides, Višnjić's Dracula is left for dead at his destroyed castle in the Carpathian mountains while his three wives flee to start a new life together. The actor's career also includes The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Dollface, and a recent episode of Doctor Who.

Richards' Renee runs a modeling agency in NYC and has a history of "torrid affairs" with her female models. "In her former life, she was the wife of the Marquis de Sade when she invited Dracula (Višnjić) into her 'house of pain' and asked to be 'turned' by him." Richards famously played Barbara Kean on Gotham, and also appeared in Misfits, Being Human, and Breaking In.

The other brides in the series will be aspiring singer Lili Stevens (Claws' Katherine Reis) and NYC real estate maven Cleo Phillips (Firefly's Gina Torres). Other cast members in the series will include Chris Mason (Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists, The Resident) and Sophia Tatum (I Am Not Okay With This).

The Brides is described as "a sexy contemporary reimagining of Dracula", which will center on a trio of female leads and include strong horror elements. The project is being hailed as "a vampire soap about empowered, immortal women and the things they do to maintain wealth, prestige, legacy -- and their nontraditional family". The project was initially developed for NBC, but is being reworked to lean "stronger into horror and sexuality as it reimagines the classic vampire characters".

The Brides is a co-production between ABC Studios and Warner Bros. Television, the latter of which has overall deals with Aguirre-Sacasa and Berlanti. Maggie Kiley, who previously worked on Riverdale, Katy Keene, and American Horror Story, will direct the pilot episode.

What do you think of Visnjic and Richards joining The Brides? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!