Bram Stoker's descendant has written a Dracula prequel based on family legends

Bram Stoker's great-grandnephew Dacre Stoker (real name) has written a prequel to Dracula based on extensive research of his ancestor's private journals as well as Stoker family lore, The Guardian reports. Dracul, which Stoker co-authored with novelist J.D. Barker, will be out in 2018.

Dracul "focuses on Bram and his family, as a young boy growing up in Clontarf, Artane, and Dublin," said Dacre Stoker. "These parts were based on Stoker family background stories [and] knowledge, all of the existing biographies, excerpts from The Lost Journal [Bram's private notebook], and our speculation."

The film rights to Dracul have already sold, with It director Andy Muschietti set to helm the adaptation.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Dracul could offer closure for lingering questions fans might have. What inspired Bram Stoker's classic, chilling tale of the vampire? What "ungodly evil" did Bram lock away? Why is this book called Dracul and not Racula? All that and more to be answered soon.