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Will There Be a Last Voyage of the Demeter Sequel? Creators, Stars Speak Up
Corey Hawkins believes there's more story to be told when it comes to The Last Voyage of the Demeter and its take on Dracula.
Now that The Last Voyage of the Demeter has frightened theatergoers in its opening weekend, many may already be looking ahead and hoping to see the continued exploits of Javier Botet’s immensely scary take on Dracula.
In Bram Stoker’s original novel, a voyage on the Demeter is the way the monstrous creature gets to Britain to begin his famous reign of terror. So, will the Dracula from the movie follow that pattern? If so, will there be any living connective tissue to this movie? Fortunately for those who are curious, SYFY WIRE sat down with Clemens actor Corey Hawkins and some of the film's producers, who were all too happy to speculate on the future of the Demeter-verse.
**Spoiler Alert for The Last Voyage of the Demeter**
As those who saw the movie know, it ends with Clemens having a dramatic and harrowing moment on the deck of the ship in which he declares that he is not afraid of Dracula right to his scary as hell face. Therefore, he won’t give him the tasty, tasty fear he so seeks. The vampire promises him that he will fear him someday, all but promising him and the audience more misadventures to come.
The move works in its way and, despite what is known about Dracula lore, Clemens becomes the sole human survivor of the wreck of the Demeter (though he didn't actually wash up to shore on the Demeter). By the movie’s end, he is dedicating his life to scouring the countryside in search of the beast that’s become his greatest foe. Meanwhile, Dracula, now a dapper gentleman in a suit and tophat, is all too happy to engage in this cat-and-mouse game (easy for the cat to say).
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So, will that moment languish in cinematic history as a mere tease, or will The Last Voyage of the Demeter continue the story in another movie? According to Hawkins, everything is still on the table.
“We thought a lot about it. And, there’s a lot of ideas about that,” he revealed. “So, you know, we’ll see, we’ll see where they go.”
Regardless of any potential sequel, though, Hawkins notes that the existence of Clemens in this world, who was not born of the novel, necessitated that he live through his trip on the Demeter.
“The idea that Clemens is just in a different place. He starts out as this man of science, right? And then he transitions to a man who actually makes space for the supernatural and the possibility because he has no choice but to make space for that! … He’s had to move through life afraid, he realizes that he has to change that and the hunted becomes the hunter.”
Despite feeling it a fitting end to both his character and the movie, he recognizes that the characters both go on and will live a very complicated life going forward.
“There’s a bit of that PTSD in there for them. But he’s also made these connections with these people on this boat and now he has to sort of step into that next chapter. Whatever that next chapter will be. But it’s just great to watch this man take back his agency. In a world that doesn’t necessarily see him and confront that fear. And confronting that fear both in the world and in the form of Dracula.”
Producer Brad Fischer took the thought exercise a bit further, telling SYFY WIRE there's certainly a way a character like Clemens could find his way into something like the Van Helsing legend, as would-be heroes try to take on the things that go bump in the night.
"It's interesting because there's obviously a tremendous amount of known story that happens before the curtain opens and after the curtain closes," he said. "You could see a character like Clemens fitting into that larger crew that pursues Dracula, so there's certainly a way to do it. We kind of tip that narrative opportunity. And actually, Dracula goes back again. Yes, The last voyage of the Demeter but not the last voyage of Dracula."
Fellow producer Mike Medavoy joked he's not really a "big fan of sequels," though he might make an exception to play around a bit longer in this world "But in this case? Call us on Tuesday."
As those who saw the movie will note, even before he has his life-changing, perspective-shifting journey with Dracula on the Demeter, Clemens is a unique character with a rich backstory, something Hawkins noted was important to him and part of why he was so excited to be a part of this movie.
“The fact that he’s this Cambridge-educated Black doctor at the turn of the century, just that it’s important to tell that story because these men really existed,” he explained. “That was the drilling in that we did with the producers and with [director André Øvredal]. Just to make sure that we allowed space for that.”
Hawkins concluded by calling Clemens an “outsider” in the world of Dracula, which he believes could give him an edge and a perspective never seen in another Dracula project that would be interesting to take into any kind of potential sequel. Sadly, fans will just have to wait to see if any such project (unlike Dracula) sees the light of day.
Of course, with the movie only now out in theaters, there's no official word yet on if the world of the Demeter will continue with a sequel. But it's encouraging to know the stars and creators are already thinking about it.
Watch The Last Voyage of the Demeter in theaters now.
*Tara Bennett contributed reporting.
