Luc Besson (The Professional, Anna), returns to gothic storytelling with his latest project, Dracula. Caleb Landry Jones takes on the title role, joined by Christoph Waltz – most recently seen in Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein – and a supporting cast that includes Zoë Bleu, Matilda de Angelis, Guillaume de Tonquedec, Ewens Abid, and Raphael Luce.
Besson has said that his interest in the project was sparked not by the story of Dracula itself, but by his desire to work again with Jones, following their collaboration on Dogman. Considering roles that would suit the actor, Besson settled on Dracula. He has described his adaptation as “a totally romantic approach,” focusing on a side of Bram Stoker’s novel that he says has often been overlooked: the story of a man who waits for 400 years for the reincarnation of his wife.
In interviews, Besson has emphasized that his film is intended as a tragic-romantic tale rather than a conventional horror story. He noted that while the original novel contains fantastical and sanguine elements, the narrative is fundamentally a love story. “When you take the original novel, it’s a real love story,” he said. “He [Dracula] became a horror movie myth when actually, if we dig into the original novel, it’s a big love story. So I wanted to go back to this man who loses his wife and who sadly is eternal because God stops him from dying, and he looks for his wife for 400 years.” Besson has also stated that he is not a fan of horror films or Dracula, and that his goal was to explore the romantic and tragic aspects of the character while retaining some horror elements.
Also referred to in some sources as Dracula: A Love Tale, the film is a gothic romance and romantic fantasy set in the 15th century. It follows a prince, played by Landry Jones, who becomes the immortal figure of Dracula after the death of his wife, portrayed by Bleu. The character is pursued by a priest, played by Waltz.
The production was filmed in France as an English-language project and is scheduled for release in US theaters on 6 February 2026.
