Dracula Untold: A Visit to the Ireland Set – Part 1

This castle is under siege and there’s little I can do about it. I’m standing on the outskirts of a scene that is filled with panic. Dust hangs heavy in the air of the castle’s Great Hall. Its people – dressed in period garb courtesy of renown costume designer Ngila Dickson (“The Lord of the Rings” trilogy) – scramble for safety, dodging the bits of stone that fall to the floor. At any moment, one of the many spires that hang upside-down from the ceiling, like stalactites in a cave, could snap crushing anyone below.

The Ottomans are attacking the castle, I’m told. And these frightened people – including Mirena (Sarah Gadon) – are awaiting the return of Vlad Tepes (Luke Evans, Fast & Furious 6). On cue, the doors to the Great Hall swing open and Tepes makes his entrance. Mirena greets him.

“You came back,” she says to her husband. His response is prophetic, “I always will.”

He takes determined strides to a nearby staircase where he delivers an impassioned speech about not failing his people and not giving up his son (Art Parkinson). Evans does this while the sounds of cannon blasts rock the castle’s foundation. Nearby, director Gary Shore controls a lightbox that triggers a strobing effect to give the impression of lighting or explosions (I’m not told which). The first assistant director calls “Cut!” and Shore, adorned in a Jaws t-shirt, talks to his crew about making some adjustments to the scene.

Welcome to the set of Dracula Untold, Universal?s big fall 2014 release that’s due to hit theaters on October 17.

ShockTillYouDrop.com was called to make the trek to Belfast, Northern Ireland to see how the legend is being updated in the wake of re-imaginings of The Mummy and The Wolfman. You can check out Part 1 of the set visit by clicking here.