`Pan's Labyrinth' director writing vampire trilogy

NEW YORK (AP) - September 24, 2008 "The idea is epic in scope," del Toro said in a statement issued Wednesday by publisher William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins. "The trilogy advances in unexpected ways and each book contains unique and surprising revelations about the history, physiology and lore of the vampiric race, tracing its roots all the way back to its Old Testament origins."

The 43-year-old Del Toro, whose films include the "Hellboy" movies, "Mimic" and "The Devil's Backbone," is best known for "Pan's Labyrinth," a surreal take on the Spanish Civil War that came out in 2006 and won three Academy Awards, for makeup, art direction and cinematography.

Hogan's novels include "The Blood Artists," "The Killing Moon" and "Prince of Thieves," which is being adapted into a feature film, starring and directed by Ben Affleck.