Willem Dafoe signed for the big-budget adaptation of the kid-lit fantasy ‘Cirque du Freak.’ Dafoe joins Salma Hayek and John C. Reilly at the set of Paul Weitz, who also directed ‘American Pie’ and ‘About a Boy.’

The story revolves around a boy named Darren, who meets a strange man at a freak show. The man turns out to be a vampire and Darren has to go on the road with him and Cirque du Freak to save his friend’s life. Of course, there’s no going wrong by casting Willem Dafoe as a vampire. Although the above picture is photoshopped (as always), he played a blood thirsty creature two times before.

The movie already started shooting in Louisiana and is expected to hit theaters February 19, 2009.