With a muscle-bound hero and damsel in distress, mythological storylines and an abundance of good vs. evil drama, Mario Bava’s 1961 Italian film Hercules in the Haunted World has all the trappings of a good opera. That’s why composer Patrick Morganelli, who had been a fan of the film for many years, jumped at the chance to turn the cult-fantasy flick into an operatic saga with Opera Theater Oregon in 2010.

Morganelli’s Hercules vs. Vampires will get its Nashville premiere this Saturday with the Nashville Opera. We caught up with the composer to discuss his creative process, the challenges of combining film and opera, and how audiences respond to such a unique pairing.