The upcoming vampire movie Abigail found a comedic approach to the vampire mythology, according to its star. The movie releases on April 19 and is directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, who helmed 2022’s Scream and its sequel. It follows a group of kidnappers who capture the daughter of a powerful underworld figure and demand $50 million for her release, unaware the young girl is actually a vampire. The movie has a stellar cast including Scream actor Melissa Barrera, Dan Stevens, Giancarlo Esposito, and Alisha Weir.
Following up with Screen Rant‘s Abigail set visit to Ireland last year, our own Rob Keyes recently spoke with Barrera about how she loved finding a comedic side to the vampire mythology. She explained the approach the movie takes to its characters discovering a vampire for the first time, and how she believed this would mirror real-life reactions, adding to the comedic and meta appeal. Read her full quote below:
Vampire movies have been around since the dawn of cinema in one form or another, and they have typically focused on the supernatural and horror elements. Though Abigail is billed as a monster horror film, Barrera’s comments confirm there is going to be plenty of humor on offer, and the Abigail trailer certainly leans into that, which could make it something unique. However, it is worth noting that the recent Nicolas Cage vampire movie Renfield received mixed reviews, and this was a film that also used large amounts of comedy within its storytelling.
Universal has already revealed that they view the movie as a fresh direction for a classic character, and this could represent something the vampire genre hasn’t seen much of in recent times. Bettinelli-Opin and Gillett have been open about the amount of blood and gore in Abigail, and the hope will be that this will appeal to horror enthusiasts, while the comedic elements will also make the movie accessible to a wider audience. The studio is looking to reboot its Dark Universe once again, and, if successful, Abigail could prove a strong starting point.
While it’s unlikely the movie will be reinventing the wheel, it could prove to be a breath of fresh air for the vampire genre, which has stagnated in recent times amid a string of box office flops, including the Marvel movie Morbius and the aforementioned Renfield. The horror-comedy approach is typically the most accessible for movies like this, and with a strong cast and plenty of blood, there is bound to be hope that Abigail will be a movie audiences will want to sink their teeth into.