Fiction Adaptation Unit: Coursework

An adaptation of Dracula by Bram Stoker (1897)

In todays workshop we were to bring in a classic novel. The task: to devise a new ending/genre/slant and come up with a pitch. I used 'Dracula', a horror/gothic novel which introduced the character Count Dracula, a vampire. His intention is to come to England from Transylvania but soon comes into battle with Professor Abraham van Helsing and a group of men and women.

The novel has been the basis for many adaptations.

I chose to change the novel for a 3 hour-long part TV series for BBC1 to be broadcast at 9pm weekly. I would modernise it by changing the setting to the 21st century in London, and change it from being a horror to a fast-paced detective thriller. The audience would then accept that it is something new and different, and more real. I would alter the typical attributes of a vampire to aid this, ie. they will be immune to sunlight and garlic, but would have superstrength and heal quickly.

As the original book is told through a series of letters, diary entries etc. from the protagonists. I would consider using these on a multi-platform to engage the audience in getting to know the plot and the characters.

I also chose to alter the plot. In one sense, to create more friction between Helsing and Dracula; as a more of a cat-and-mouse game. I would have them meet alone on one occasion. Also, I would like the audience not to fear Dracula, but to respect his intelligence as much as they do Helsing. I would like to develop the relationships with Dracula and the females in the book. He drinks the blood of Mina and feeds her his blood to create a bond. In the end, I would like Mina to become a vampire and flee to Transylvania.