Asked if the movie was still in the works, Zhao told The Hollywood Reporter: “Yes, I’m writing the script right now.”
The film was previously described as a “sci-fi Western” and Zhao expressed her desire to bring fresh ideas to the vampire genre.
Zhao said in 2021: “It’s just like looking at Jessica Bruder’s book (Nomadland), and to really see behind the pages, to discover the meanings behind each page and the essence of it.
“I’m a huge fan of the book. And I wanted to see what essence I can find (in Dracula), and then be able to reimagine this really beloved character I love so much.”
Chloe helmed the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) blockbuster Eternals but it was met with a lukewarm response from critics and audiences, although Zhao accepts that her movie was unlikely to impress everybody.
She explained: “When you’re in Marvel and when you’re dealing with an audience that big, I truly treasure and respect that each of us is so unique. It’s exciting that we’re all so different, and we’re all changing and growing every day.
“But with a global audience, it’s almost impossible to make everybody perfectly happy, and to do that is to say that everyone is the same.”
Zhao added: “So I think there’s inevitably going to be that (difference of opinion), and you just have to stay true to the kind of film you want to make and who you are and the people you’re collaborating with.
“That’s all you can do, really, and have a good time. Everything else is out of your control.”
