Dutton Bites for new Dracula Novel

A few days back we told you about Dacre Stoker and Ian Holt’s new novel, Dracula: The Un-dead. It had been purchased by Harper UK but now we learn from Publisher’s Weekly that Dutton publisher Brian Tart won the domestic rights.

The last time the Stoker family gave its seal of approval to a Dracula project was the 1931 Universal film starring Bela Lugosi.

The deal was concluded by Danny Baror of Baror International and Ken Atchity of Atchity Entertainment International who have sold international publishing rights to the book which will be released in October 2009.

Atchity will also act as producer, with Blue Tulip’s Jan de Bont (Speed), on the film adaptation which they hope to have before the cameras by June. A screenplay adaptation has already been completed by Holt and Alexander Galant.

Dutton’s parent company, Penguin USA, has also announced that a previously unpublished version of the 1987 novel, in its original unedited form, will be released in May. It was this version with Bram Stoker’s notes that helped inform his descendant as to how to best handle the characters who will reappear in the new book, set in 1912.