Universal City, California, and London – NBC and Sky Living HD have announced the co-production of Dracula, a provocative new drama series version of the classic Bram Stoker novel starring Golden Globe winner Jonathan Rhys Meyers (The Tudors, Elvis) in the title role.

Dracula is from the producers behind the critically acclaimed, Emmy Award-winning series Downton Abbey. Carnival Films & Television, along with Flame Ventures and Playground, will begin production later this year.

The 10-episode series introduces Dracula as he arrives in London, posing as an American entrepreneur who maintains that he wants to bring modern science to Victorian society. In reality, he hopes to wreak revenge on the people who ruined his life centuries earlier. There’s only one circumstance that can potentially thwart his plan: Dracula falls hopelessly in love with a woman who seems to be a reincarnation of his dead wife.

Dracula is the latest in a series of co-productions embarked on by Sky, with previous projects including Treasure Island and Strike Back. Sky last year signaled its commitment to original production by increasing its investment in original British content by 50 percent over the next three years. By 2014, Sky expects to invest £600 million a year on home grown content across its portfolio of channels.

Additional casting and production details will be announced at a later date.