'Eclipse' Helmer David Slade Boards Vampire Horror Pic 'Last Voyage of the Demeter' (Exclusive)

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BERLIN -- The Last Voyage of the Demeter may be getting ready to finally set sail.

David Slade, who directed vampires in 30 Days of Night and Twilight Saga: Eclipse, is in talks to tackle the blood-sucking genre again with Phoenix Pictures' long-in-the-works period horror movie.

The lead role is not cast but Ben Kingsley and Noomi Rapace are attached to co-star. Phoenix is in active talks with actors for the lead role.

Producing Demeter are Mike Medavoy, Arnold Messer and Bradley Fischer, who have made habit of incubating and sticking with projects for lengthy periods. (Phoenix took almost as long to get Oscar best picture contender Black Swan made.)

Demeter was the name of the ship that transported Dracula from Transylvania to London in Bram Stoker's classic tale. In that novel, it washes up on the shores of England, tattered and broken, with one raving mad survivor.

Written a decade ago by Bragi Schut, the script places the voyage center stage in a tale that is reminiscent of the first movie in the Alien franchise, in which a crew is slaughtered one-by-one by a mysterious passenger.

The project has over the years attracted such directors as Robert Schwentke and Marcus Nispel. Stefan Ruzowitzky was on board but last month decided to work on the just-announced drama Blackbird, which is to star Eric Bana and Oliva Wilde.

Demeter hasn't left port just yet, however. The project is still in the midst of securing financing, although the attachment of Slade, riding high on Eclipse's near-$700 million in worldwide boxoffice, should go a ways to get there. However, by the time the funds are secured, the actors could change. The in-demand Rapace, for example, already has Fox's Prometheus penciled in for part of the year.

Slade is repped by WME and Anonymous Content.