While it helps that someone is familiar with the DS vehicle, I feel the main criterion is someone who knows how to make a film.  One that captivates our imagination, can tell a good story and knows how to cast actors that fit the characters in question is always a first choice for me.  Will it be the original?  By no means.  Could it be better then the original?  You bet.

However, just having a fan that isn't a good film maker make a DS movie is a lose, lose proposition for the entire vehicle, original, new and indifferent.

As a general rule, I never believe anything concerning new DS ventures unless it's confirmed by other third party newspapers.

Please.  Barnabas Collins left enough corpses lying around to suggest the Black Death had arrived in Collinsport.  The fact that he hesitated to slaughter his relatives with the same abandon as he did other folk does not assuage his guilt nor diminish his responsibility. The death of Carl Collins was lazy writing, in my opinion, and a pretty lousy way to let John Karlen go do something else.

A DS movie could be really cool if handled by people who would understand the series and the characters.  I'm leaning toward Tim Burton, if he does it seriously.

  Hopefully they'll announce something soon.

LOL...the original? I wasn't even being dreamed of being conceived yet.