Monster movies are back in vogue! Filmmaker Luc Besson (“Leon: The Professional,” “The Fifth Element”) is attached to direct a new version of the Bram Stoker classic “Dracula.” This gothic tale tells the story of Prince Vladimir who is turned into a vampire in the 15th century when he curses God after the death of his wife. By the 19th century, he finds and begins to pursue a doppelgänger of his beloved.
Two-time Oscar winner Christoph Waltz (“Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio”), and Caleb Landry Jones (“Get Out”) are in talks to star. Jones and Besson previously worked together on 2023’s “Dogman.” Besson’s EuropaCorp will be producing, with Kinology presenting “Dracula” to buyers at the European Film Market.
Waltz will also be in Guillermo del Toro‘s (“Pan’s Labyrinth”) adaptation of “Frankenstein.” Where he will star alongside Mia Goth (“Pearl”), Felix Kammerer (“All Quiet on the Western Front”), Lars Mikkelsen (“The Witcher”), David Bradley (“Pinocchio”), Christian Convery (“Sweet Tooth”), and Oscar Isaac (“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse”). “Frankenstein,” is expected to hit Netflix sometime in 2025.
Kinology also sold the revenge thriller “Dogman,” which tells the story of a young man who finds salvation from the cruel world through his love of dogs. The film was billed as Besson’s big comeback after his movies “Lucy” and “Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets” flopped with critics. Despite receiving a standing standing ovation when it premiered at the Venice Film Festival, “Dogman”’s critical reception was mixed.
We’ll keep you posted on updates about Besson’s “Dracula” as they become available.
