It's been quite a while since we saw our own Jonathan Rhys Meyers on the big or small screen, but 2013 looks set to be the year that the Cork 'boi' makes a bit of a comeback. As if starring in the next big thing in teen franchises (The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones) on the silver screen wasn't enough, he's also taking the lead in NBC's Dracula.
Almost a year after the project was announced, the first pictures and trailer from the brand new series have just dropped, and it certainly looks sumptuous. The show puts a brand new twist on the tale, introducing the charismatic Count as "an American entrepreneur who wants to bring modern science to Victorian society, but secretly hopes to take revenge on those who cursed him with immortality centuries earlier." Oooh, angsty.
The show is jam packed with Irish talent, with Merlin star Katie McGrath and TV veteran Victoria Smurfit also featuring among the cast. German actor Thomas Kretschmann (The Pianist) takes on the role of Van Helsing.
It's rather refreshing to see Jonathan back on the small screen. His future looked more than secure after his Golden Globe winning turn as a young Elvis, with roles in Woody Allen's Match Point, The Tudors and Mission: Impossible 3 following. Alas, a few personal issues served to stop him in his tracks, and the err, once and future King seemed all but forgotten.
Here's hoping Dracula is the start of something beautiful. With the people who brought us The Tudors and Downton Abbey working on it, we're sure it'll be well worth a watch. Catch the show on Sky Living later this year.
