Prepare for a fresh new take on the classic horror icon, Dracula! Caleb Landry Jones (Banshee in X-Men: First Class) will star as the titular character in Luc Besson’s Dracula: A Love Tale, inspired by Bram Stoker’s legendary gothic horror novel.
The first trailer for Dracula: A Love Tale has arrived, hinting at Besson’s unique vision. A gruff voice in the trailer responds to “Tell me your story” with: “My story? Four hundred years ago, I asked a priest for God to spare my wife. He did not.” This sets the stage for a story centered on Dracula’s connection with a woman who bears a resemblance to his beloved wife, Elisabeta, who died over 400 years ago.
This new take offers a twist on the original, trading Stoker’s UK setting for Belle Époque Paris. However, the second act of the film even takes place leading up to July 14, 1989. The city is celebrating the 200th anniversary of the French Revolution.
A Reunion and a “Crazily Talented” Star
In 2023, Besson and Jones collaborated on Dogman. Jones starred as a man abused by his father who shares his life story with a psychiatrist after being arrested while driving a truck full of dogs. After seeing Jones’ incredible performance in Dogman, Besson knew he wanted to work with him again for Dracula. As Besson told Deadline last year, his interest in this new Dracula wasn’t primarily about the tale itself, but rather the appeal of his lead actor.
“It’s not Dracula, my fascination is Caleb,” Besson said in the interview. “We were just chatting about other roles that could work for him. I said, ‘You’d be great as Dracula.’ Then, I thought, ‘You know what, I’m just going to write it.”
Besson raved about Jones: “He’s crazily talented. It’s something I haven’t seen since Gary Oldman. On a human level, he’s a gem, kind, lovely…there’s no entourage, no agents and assistants in tow.”
In addition to X-Men and Dogman, Jones also starred in Get Out and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. He even won the Best Actor award at the Cannes Film Festival. He won Best Actor in a Leading Role for his performance in Nitram by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts.
The Ever-Evolving Legacy of Dracula
Dracula’s story has been adapted in numerous films and television series over the years. In 2024, Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu premiered, based on the 1922 film that was inspired by Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel Dracula. In 2023, the “The Captain’s Log” chapter of the original book was adapted into the horror film The Last Voyage of the Demeter.
So, we have more good news for vampire fans. In April, it was announced that another new take on Dracula’s story is on the way. Based on a short story written by Joe Hill, Abraham’s Boys follows Max and Rudy Van Helsing. They are the children of the legendary vampire hunter Abraham Van Helsing. As they learn more about their father’s history with the vampire of legend, they begin to understand his violent and unhinged behavior. This film premiered at this year’s Overlook Film Festival, but a theatrical release has not been announced at this point.
Jones is joined by Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Basterds) as a Priest and Matilda De Angelis (The Undoing) as Maria: Zoë Bleu, Ewwns Abid, Salomon Passariello, and Romain Levi co-star.
Luc Besson’s Dracula: A Love Tale will release in French theaters on July 30, 2025. As for a U.S. distribution, a premiere date has not been announced yet.
