'Carnivale' Creator Counted on to Reboot Dracula for TV

NBC has ordered a new “Dracula” series from writer Cole Haddon and the production team behind “Downton Abbey.”

It’s the program’s new showrunner who promises to make the series more than just another trendy vampire project.

The new show will be set in 1890s London. Dracula poses as an American entrepreneur hoping to bring modern science to the Victorian society. His true motive, though, is to exact revenge on those who destroyed his life many years before. Jonathan Rhys Meyers of “The Tudors” fame is set to star as the titular Dracula.

During the summer’s TCA presentation, NBC Entertainment president Robert Greenblatt stated, “In the world of ‘Twilight’ and ‘True Blood’ and all the contemporized stories, we thought we’d go back to the original.” Understandably, some viewers were probably thinking this will just end up being another “Vampire Diaries.”

Well, have no fear.

Last week, NBC announced that it has brought in “Carnivalé” creator Daniel Knauf to serve as show runner and head writer. Still skeptical that the series will feature glittery, emoting vampires? Daniel helped squelch those fears recently on Twitter.

When asked if the series would watered down since it is airing on a network instead of a cable channel, Knauf wrote, “Believe me, we’ll be pushing the outside of the broadcast envelope as far as content goes.”

And with regards to the metrosexualization of recent vampire fare, he also puts that assumption to rest.

“And not wimpy post-millennium, self-actualizing, oh-so-tortured, Abercrombie-&-Fitch, ‘sparkling’ Dracula. Victorian badass Dracula.” He also promises “55% sex, 30%violence, 10% kinky, 5% smoldering.”

Hopefully, NBC will not meddle too much and will give Knauf free reign to work his magic. The series is set to debut next year.