Netflix embraces Castlevania’s retro roots in series’ debut trailer

By Jon Martindale May 25, 2017

Castlevania | Teaser: Vengeance | Netflix

Netflix has debuted the first trailer for its upcoming animated series based on the original Castlevania games from the late ’80s and it hasn’t shunned that origin. Beginning with a mock-up of what Netflix might have looked like if it was ‘playable’ on a Nintendo Entertainment System, it soon transitions into some clips from the show, culminating in a silhouette of the classic castle setting.

This two-season series will be based on Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse and introduces the protagonist at the end of the trailer with the statement, “I’m the man who killed Dracula.” The first season is set to debut this July and will have just four 30-minute episodes.

However, if this trailer is anything to go by, each episode will be packed with action. The series has been described as ultra-violent by its creators and this trailer certainly backs that up. Several characters are given bloody wounds within a brief moment and we get a look at some of the characters who will feature in the show — though none are named outright.

For those unfamiliar with the Castlevania series, while Dracula’s Curse was the third and final Castlevania game on the NES, it is actually a prequel to the original game and features an ancestor of main series protagonist, Simon Belmont, called Trevor Belmont. It was also the first game to introduce Alucard, Dracula’s son, though there’s no guarantee he will feature in this series.

Drawing from contemporary adaptations like Game of Thrones, Akira and Ghost in the Shell, Castlevania was written by comic artist and author Warren Ellis, who previously wrote the script for the canceled Dracula’s Curse movie. He’s joined by producer Ari Shankar, who previously created the dark Power Rangers short from a few years back.

Castlevania will debut on Netflix on July 7 with all four episodes available to watch immediately.

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