Gary Shore will be directing "heartbreaking, violent and touching" new vampire film 'Red River'.

Ciara Cullen and Gary Shore

Ciara Cullen and Gary Shore

The 'Dracula Untold' director will be joining BAFTA and Oscar-nominated screenwriter Ronan Blaney on the new movie about a bloodthirsty drifter who befriends an immigrant family in an isolate town in Ireland.

Speaking to Deadline, Shore said: "A story about a vampire hell-bent on teaching an isolated town a thing or two about its treatment of outsiders is a valuable reminder that man is capable of being the real monster.

"I love Ronan's script - heartbreaking, violent and touching all at once. With influences like 'High Plaines Drifter', 'Shane' and 'Let The Right One In' it's definitely an original in the genre with the potential to be a modern classic."

Shore - who is married to Ciara Cullen - most recently directed the 'St Patrick's Day' segment in the anthology 'Holidays', Deadline report and Blaney was BAFTA and Oscar nominated for his short 'Boogaloo and Graham'.

'Alien: Covenant' and 'The Martian' producer Mark Huffam has joined the team on the new movie along with 'Churchill's Piers Tempest and Martin Brennan and Michael B. Jackson from 23ten.

Huffam said: "We're delighted to be teaming up with Gary on 'Red River'.

"We all believe he is the perfect fit for bringing this incredible Ronan Blaney script to life."

XYZ Films will be executive producing the movie following its successful production of 'I Don't Feel At Home In This World Anymore' which was directed by Macon Blair and starred Melanie Lynskey and Elijah Wood.

'Red River' - which has no connection to the 1948 John Wayne movie of the same name - is currently in pre-production and is set to start shooting later this year in Northern Ireland.