Vampire Vow Optioned as Movie

Posted by: Michael

Shattering Paradigms has optioned Michael Schiefelbein's acclaimed horror novel Vampire Vow for development into a feature film. SPE will develop the script internally and financing will commence immediately. Schiefelbein looks forward to seeing SPE's vision of his protagonist on the big screen, stating that, "Victor's always been a larger-than-life character in my own conception of him, and he'll truly be
larger than life when Vampire Vow makes its way onto film."

Vampire Vow tells the story of Victor Decimus, a Roman officer under Pontius Pilate, who falls desperately in love with the young Jesus but is ultimately rejected. In his rage, Victor turns on the citizens of Jerusalem in a frenzy of rape and violence, culminating in his transformation into a vampire. Two thousand years later, in the guise of a monk, he takes up residence in a rural American monastery where, in Brother Michael, he finds a hint of the love he has sought throughout his dark existence. But his rage, desires and vow of vengeance against the God of the Christians threaten everything he puts at stake. Midwest Book Review gave the novel five stars, calling it, "a literate, compelling, and original contribution to the horror fantasy genre, and strongly recommended."

The gay-themed "Brokeback Mountain" which received critical acclaim and financial success, with a current box office gross of more than $165 million worldwide, indicates that films featuring homosexual love stories can find a broad audience. Jerry Prochazka, SPE's CEO believes that the novel's dense themes of love, obsession and the struggles of spirituality have great cinematic potential. "Vampire Vow is the first of a series of books that has already developed a loyal following," Prochazka said. "Not only does the book exemplify our company's brand identity of shattering paradigms, but its intricate plot makes for a fascinating story about inner turmoil."

While Prochazka is excited about making feature films like Vampire Vow in Chicago, he's optimistic that the recent signing of The Illinois Film Production Tax Credit into law will encourage out-of-state filmmakers to bring their business here. Not only does the law allow for attractive tax incentives, but Chicago itself has a huge talent pool, with Columbia College being the largest film school in the country. DePaul University has also stepped up to the plate, offering a new undergraduate degree program in Digital Cinema. "With all of these excellent resources, there's no reason why Chicago cant compete with Hollywood or Toronto for filmmaking," Prochazka said.

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