David Dastmalchianis everywhere lately. From appearing in Marvel’s latest offering,Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, to playing a role in Hulu’s upcomingBoston Stranglerfilm, his star is quickly on the rise, and he’s got more than one project coming up. One particularly exciting title isThe Last Voyage of the Demeter,André Øvredal’s new film also starringCorey Hawkins,Javier Botet, andLiam Cunningham.
In the film, which serves as an adaptation of a single chapter fromBram Stoker’sDracula, Dastmalchian plays Wojchek, the first mate of theDemeter, the ship that brings Dracula from Carpathia to London — though the crew don’t exactly know that. All they are aware of is the simple, innocent looking cargo they’ve been asked to carry, and the curious and terrifying events that befall them as a result, leaving nothing but a charred wreck when the ship inevitably arrives in London.
When speaking to Collider’s ownPerri NemiroffforQuantumania, Dastmalchian detailed what it was like to work with Øvredal on the film, and how it will stand out from other Dracula adaptations — particularlyRenfield, theNicholas Hoult-led film also coming out this year. He said that Øvredal took a “huge swing” with the film, which will be transportative for audiences as they experience the story of the world’s most fearsome vampire like never before:
“Andre is a student of and child of, grown up on the genre. Horror is his backbone and he is a true monster kid. He has this deep love and affinity for Bram Stoker’sDracula, as do I. His knowledge of the book and his passion for the characters is so beautiful, and he’s got this really intense and unique vision and a way of telling stories that is so outside of the box. So anyone who’s familiar with his works likeTrollhunter,Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark,The Autopsy of Jane Doe, you go, “Well, this guy never takes a little swing. He takes a big swing.” He took ahugeswing with this film. I think it’s gonna scare the crap out of people, but it’s also gonna be one of those movie experiences that transports you to this other place.”
RELATED:‘Last Voyage of the Demeter’ Sets 2023 Release Date
He says he’s also excited to explore the story of theDemeterspecifically, as he’s a massive fan of the originalDracula, saying, “And I’m excited selfishly because it’s a character I’ve never gotten to play and it’s in a story that is one of my favorite chapters of one of my favorite books of all time. And it’s a chapter that’s short and that has never been explored except for on one series, and maybe in a couple of graphic novels.”
The Last Voyage of the Demeteris set to hit theaters on August 11. Check out more of our interview with Dastmalchian here:
