Sony has announced that 30 Days of Night: Dark Days, the direct-to-DVD sequel to the theatrically-released 30 Days of Night, will be released on DVD ($24.95) and Blu-ray (Combo-Pack, $30.95) on October 5th in plenty of time for Halloween.  The sequel to the high concept “vampires in the month-long night of the Alaskan winter” saga was co-written by Steve Niles, who created the 30 Days of Night comics published IDW.  Director Ben Ketai shared writing duties for Dark Days, which closely follows the plotline of the Dark Days mini-series/graphic novel first published in 2004 by IDW.

In Dark Days (see “30 Days of Night: Dark Days”), Kiele Sanchez (Lost) takes over the role of Stella Oleson (played by Melissa George in 30 Days), the survivor of the vampire invasion of Barrow, who strikes a deal with a vampire in the hope of resurrecting her husband.  The action in Dark Days shifts to the seamy underside of Los Angeles, which is captured with great fidelity.  One of the features included in the Blu-ray Combo Pack is a featurette, “The Gritty Realism of Dark Days,” which details not just the production design, but also the use of makeup and special effects in this gory “R” rated horror opus.

Key members of the cast and crew of Dark Days will attend a special Dark Days panel on Friday, July 23rd at the San Diego Comic-Con.  If the modestly-budgeted Dark Days does well on DVD, Sony/Columbia will create additional 30 Days of Night movies based on the subsequent mini-series in the comic book franchise.