The Last Voyage Of The Demeter - Horror Directors Who Almost Helmed The Vampire Film

Contains spoilers for "The Last Voyage of the Demeter"

Horror movies are all the more terrifying when the characters are in a place they literally can't escape from. "Alien" used this lesson well, but "The Last Voyage of the Demeter" gives it a 19th-century twist by showing what would happen if a crew found themselves on a ship in the middle of the ocean with Dracula (Javier Botet). It's a terrifyingly thrilling concept, but it's been an arduous journey bringing this script to the big screen. 

Looper attended a Q&A featuring director André Øvredal as well as producers Mike Medavoy and Bradley J. Fischer. During the conversation, they mentioned how they first tried to get this film off the ground 21 years ago. A lot has changed since then, with the script going through changes over the years. And there were numerous directors attached at various points. Some of the ones mentioned include Robert Schwentke ("RED"), Marcus Nispel (2009's "Friday the 13th"), David Slade ("30 Days of Night"), Neil Marshall ("The Descent"), Patrick Tatopoulos (creature designer for "Trick 'r Treat"), and Stefan Ruzowitzky ("The Counterfeiters").

But arguably, the biggest name that was attached to "The Last Voyage of the Demeter" at one point was Guillermo del Toro ("Pan's Labyrinth"). He ultimately had to pass, but he recommended Øvredal for the job, who brought the project to fruition.

Guillermo del Toro was the director attached directly before André Øvredal. But when other things got in the way, Mike Medavoy explained that del Toro had the perfect idea, "It was Guillermo's idea actually to do it with André. It was his inspiration, and he was completely right." Of course, the filmmaker was already well-acquainted with Øvredal's sensibilities as a director, as del Toro produced "Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark," which Øvredal helmed. 

It's clear Øvredal really respects del Toro's opinions as a fellow horror enthusiast, which likely explains why del Toro receives thanks in the credits of "The Last Voyage of the Demeter." But it goes even further than that. In an exclusive interview with Looper, Øvredal discussed the influence del Toro has had on him: "I learned so much from him, from the precis of storytelling, the meaning of story. His ability to take a step back and see what the movie is from a bird's perspective, what is this movie supposed to be, and then jump down into the details and nitty gritty, machinations of moments to help portray what a grand thing is supposed to be was astounding to be experiencing."

As for del Toro, he's already dipped his toes in plenty of vampire stories, having directed "Cronos" and "Blade II." Still, del Toro's "The Last Voyage of the Demeter" will remain another one of many projects the filmmaker couldn't bring to light, like "At the Mountains of Madness" and "Justice League Dark."