Even better, the animated movie is going to be directed by genius Genndy Tartakovsky
Adam Sandler will be providing the voice of Dracula in a new 3D animated comedy from Sony called Hotel Transylvania . Directing the project will be the legendary Genndy Tartakovsky, the genius behind Samurai Jack , Dexter’s Laboratory and the 2D animated Clone Wars . He also storyboarded the final fight in Iron Man 2 and created the animated opening segment of Priest (after which, you may as well leave the cinema). The film will be released on 21 September, 2012.
The voice cast also includes Kevin James as Frank (aka Frankenstein); Fran Drescher as Eunice, his in-your-face, over-the-top, and larger-than-life Bride; David Spade as Quasimodo, once the hunchback of Notre Dame and now a crazy, passionate gourmet chef always looking for his next piece de resistance; Steve Buscemi and Molly Shannon as Wayne and Wanda, a pair of married, harried werewolves, parents to an ever-increasing litter of pups; Cee Lo Green as Murray, a boisterous Mummy, once entertainer to the great Pharaohs, now the life of the party, and always feeling the urge to let loose and sing; and Andy Samberg as Jonathan, a 21-year-old regular guy, carefree and full of life, whose world travels land him at the hotel.
Here’s the official synopsis: “Welcome to the Hotel Transylvania, Dracula’s lavish five-stake resort, where monsters and their families can live it up, free from meddling from the human world. But here’s a little known fact about Dracula: he is not only the Prince Of Darkness; he is also a dad. Over-protective of his teenage daughter, Mavis, Dracula fabricates tales of elaborate dangers to dissuade her adventurous spirit. As a haven for Mavis, he opens the Hotel Transylvania, where his daughter and some of the world’s most famous monsters – Frankenstein and his bride, the Mummy, the Invisible Man, a family of werewolves, and more – can kick back in safety and peace. For Drac, catering to all of these legendary monsters is no problem – but his world could come crashing down when one ordinary guy stumbles on the hotel and takes a shine to Mavis.”
“We’re thrilled to be working with Adam to create a comedic Dracula for a new generation,” says Raimo-Kouyate, president of production, Sony Pictures Animation. “We have a unique story about that iconic character, starring a phenomenal cast directed by Genndy Tartakovsky, that re-imagines Transylvania and its legendary monsters in the way that only animation can.”
The film seems to have been in Development Hell at Sony since as long ago as 2006, when the story was significantly different: “The famous monsters (specifically the Frankenstein monster and his (ex) bride, Eunice, Larry the Werewolf, the Mummy, Al the Goblin, The Invisible Man, and of course Count Dracula) have all holed themselves up in the titular building because the world is too scary, even for them. When faithful Renfield passes away, Dracula sends Al out into the world to find the last of the Renfield clan in order to keep the monsters supplied with blood and food so they never have to venture outside. Things apparently either get wacky or scary, we’re not sure which,” reported DreadCentral five years back.
Pixar animator Jill Culton was also once attached to direct, while back at the beginning of 2010 this video popped up on YouTube:
By that time the synopsis has mutated into: “Simon Van Helsing, the youngest in a long line of monster hunters. The last thing Van Helsing wants to do is fall in love with Dracula’s Daughter, Mavis. Upon discovering that they are natural enemies, the doomed couple attempts to bring peace between monsters and humans. In the end, each family will have some new blood.” The designs in the video don’t look particularly Genndy Tartakovsky-esque to us (he probably wasn’t even on board when they were produced), so expect the final film to look very, very different.
