“The Last Voyage of the Demeter” is the new horror film starring Corey Hawkins, Liam Cunningham, and David Dastmalchian. It tells the story of the transport of Dracula from Transylvania to London. The story was created from a single chapter in Bram Stroker’s “Dracula.”

Hawkins stars as Dr. Clemmons, a Cambridge-educated Black British doctor in the 1800s who ends up on the doomed ship, the Demeter, with the bloodthirsty creature Count Dracula on board and needing to feed.

Hawkins talked exclusively with EUR before the SAG-AFTRA strike about what attracted him to the role and the story.

Hawkins likened the film set up to the 1979 classic film, “Alien,” except that it’s on a boat with Dracula. Known for his versatile performances across a spectrum of roles, from his portrayal of Dr. Dre in “Straight Outta Compton” to recent roles acting opposite Denzel Washington in “The Tragedy of Macbeth” or in musicals like “In the Heights,” Hawkins said the goal is always to challenge himself as an actor.

“I see it as a marathon and not a sprint,” Hawkins shared, emphasizing his approach to selecting roles. With a meticulous eye for intriguing narratives, Hawkins and his team sift through options, ensuring each project holds the potential for growth and artistic exploration.

“I’ve been picky since the beginning. Even before I could afford to be,” he explained about the type of roles he looks for. “When this opportunity came up, the 1890s or late 1800s, the advent of steamships, the turn of the century, Black, Cambridge, educated doctor. I did the research, and those men existed. What an opportunity to be able to tell those stories. Then place them on a boat, sailing to London, and then add Dracula. Then to do it with Universal and Amblin. I would be working with Universal again after “Straight Outta Compton.” And to be British also, I was like, yeah, let me try my hand at this.”

Hawkins says the role was a challenge. But he believes that he has to take that risk if it scares him or seems like something he might fail at. He added, “yeah, you can do the same old, same old, but I learned from the greats. I learned by watching people like Denzel do what he’s doing and then deciding to do Shakespeare. So for me, it’s just stretching myself, and I like when people don’t recognize me in a role that they go, ‘oh, wait! Did he play Dre?’ That’s interesting to me.”

“The Last Voyage of Demeter” is in theatres on August 11.

Jill Munroe is a Los Angeles-bred entertainment journalist, producer, and host. Listen to her live, weeknights 9 PM-Midnight on KBLA Talk 1580. You can follow her on all social media @StilettoJill or check out JillMunroe.com

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