According to Deadline, French filmmaker Pascal Laugier (Martyrs, Incident in a Ghostland) is returning to horror with Nocturnal, a vampire project currently in development.
The screenplay is written by David Birke (Slender Man), with filming expected to take place in Latvia this fall.
Pascal Laugier described the screenplay as one of the most original horror stories he has read in years, praising David Birke's ability to rework genre archetypes without falling into parody or simple imitation.
Birke also revealed that he has been working on Nocturnal since his college years, explaining that he wanted to create a vampire story capable of blending fairy tale fascination, menace, and unease. Among the influences he cited are The Lost Boys, Near Dark, Bram Stoker's Dracula, Picnic at Hanging Rock, and Lord of the Flies.
Set in 1943, Nocturnal follows a group of refugees fleeing Vichy France who, while attempting to cross the English Channel, end up stranded on an island believed to be deserted. Their arrival soon turns into a nightmare when the survivors discover the presence of a supernatural force tied to undeath. One by one, the members of the group begin falling victim to the curse, until only a single woman remains alive. Isolated and surrounded by figures who have lost every trace of humanity, she is forced to adapt to a violent and deeply perverse community.
