Legendary Pictures is hitting the ground running with its new distribution deal under Universal.  After severing its relationship with Warner Bros., Thomas Tull’s Legendary Pictures is eyeing Dracula as its first project with Universal.  Production on the film is already underway in Ireland with Luke Evans taking on the titular role, but Variety reports that Legendary is in talks to come aboard and co-finance the project.  Gary Shore directs the pic, which tells the origin story of the classic creature and is slated for release on August 8, 2014.

Additionally, Legendary is considering co-funding the high-profile Jurassic Park 4.  Hit the jump for more on the studio’s deal with Universal.

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The Jurassic Park franchise would make a nice fit for the genre-friendly Legendary, and now that the studio doesn’t have all the DC Comics characters from Warner Bros. at its disposal, dinosaurs and monsters seem like a fine substitute.  Production on JP4 is expected to begin next year under director Colin Trevorrow in anticipation of a 2015 release date, and while Legendary won’t make a final decision with regards to co-financing until they’ve seen the final script, it would seem silly not to join such an promising project.  Moreover, Legendary chipping in would benefit Universal, as Steven Spielberg’s gross participation on JP4 will take a hefty chunk out of the film’s profits.

Under Legendary’s deal with Universal, the studio will invest, on average, $275 million annually into Universal’s films and its own properties.  Per Variety, this will continue for the first two years of the deal, after which Legendary will invest $350 million a year for the next three years of the deal.  On the flipside, Universal has committed $175 million to a portion of Legendary’s films.  The deal, however, does not allow Legendary to board any of the Fast & Furious movies or the Illumination Entertainment animated films.

While Legendary left the Superman franchise behind at Warner Bros., it did take with it a portion of Christopher Nolan’s sci-fi pic Interstellar.  The studio also has Godzilla, 300: Rise of an Empire, and Crimson Peak still set up under Warner Bros., but it brought Seventh Son with it to Universal.

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Image via Universal Pictures