A look inside Hollywood and the movies. : MORE MURPHY : Something to Sink His Teeth Into

Is there something in the water?

In the past year or so, Hollywood has been gripped by vampire fear. We’ve had an Audrey Hepburn-type bloodsucker who spoke in a French accent (Anne Parillaud in “Innocent Blood”) and a blond hunk with fangs (Rutger Hauer) pursued by a Valley Girl (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer”). In November comes Francis Ford Coppola’s version of Bram Stoker’s “Dracula” with Gary Oldman as the count himself.

The trend, it seems, will continue into next year, thanks to Eddie Murphy’s interest in the suddenly back-from-the-dead genre.

Sources close to the star confirm that Murphy is readying an African-American vampire epic--tentatively titled “A Vampire in Brooklyn”--which will roll next year for Paramount. Murphy is writing the script for the movie with his brother Charlie. Along with producing, he will possibly direct it.

“Eddie’s always been interested in vampire movies,” says his manager Mark Lipsky, who describes “A Vampire in Brooklyn” as “a vampire-on-the-loose kind of story. It’s very funny, but it also has genuinely scary moments.”

Although Murphy will not play the lead role of the garlic-hater (the part has not been cast), he will tackle several cameo roles in the movie, “sort of what he did on ‘Coming to America,’ ” says Lipsky.

In addition to being the first mainstream African-American vampire movie since 1972’s exploitation film “Blacula,” “A Vampire in Brooklyn” will also be a family affair. Principal roles will be filled by Charlie Murphy and stepbrother Vernon Lynch. An official start date has not yet been determined.

“First, Eddie is committed to doing ‘Beverly Hills Cop III’ in January,” Lipsky says. “After he finishes that, we’ll see what happens.”