Dracula: A Love Tale – Luc Besson’s Gothic Epic Secures North American Release
A new Dracula is incoming. For decades, the name Luc Besson carried a kind of cinematic weight. The French filmmaker behind Léon: The Professional (1994) and The Fifth Element (1997) was once considered a visionary director who could turn even the strangest stories into global blockbusters. However, in recent years, Besson’s career has had its ups and downs, with difficulties finding distributors for his films outside of Europe. That has changed with the news that his latest project, Dracula: A Love Tale, will be receiving a theatrical release across North America in early 2026 thanks to Vertical Entertainment.
The film first premiered in France during the summer of 2025, drawing intrigue from audiences with its sweeping gothic style and unexpected emotional core. While there was some speculation that it would bypass cinemas entirely in the U.S. and head straight to digital platforms, Vertical has stepped in to give Besson’s passion project the big-screen rollout it deserves.
A New Spin on an Old Legend
Dracula: A Love Tale reimagines Bram Stoker’s timeless vampire not as a monster defined solely by terror, but as a tragic figure wrestling with loss and faith. At its heart, the story follows Dracula’s centuries-long quest to be reunited with his lost love, echoing elements of Francis Ford Coppola’s 1992 Bram Stoker’s Dracula while striking out in its own unique direction.
Caleb Landry Jones, best known for his roles in Nitram, Get Out, and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, takes on the role of Count Dracula. Jones is an actor with a reputation for intensity and unpredictability, qualities that promise to bring depth to Besson’s more romantic, haunted version of the vampire. Christoph Waltz also stars in the film, though his role remains shrouded in mystery, sparking speculation that he may portray either a rival vampire or a figure tied to Dracula’s past faith.
Adding to the atmosphere is a score from the legendary Danny Elfman, whose gothic orchestrations for films like Edward Scissorhands and Sleepy Hollow make him a natural fit for the material.
Besson Speaks from the Heart
In an official statement released via Deadline, Luc Besson described Dracula: A Love Tale as one of his most personal projects to date:
“This film is very close to my heart and has been a joy to create over the past two years. At its core, it’s a love story—Dracula seen in a different light, as a man searching for his lost love over 400 years. It’s been incredible to see audiences connect with it around the world, and I’m thrilled to partner with Vertical to bring this story to North American audiences.”
The early response seems promising. While the film has only six reviews listed on Rotten Tomatoes so far (none yet in English), five of them have been positive, suggesting that audiences are responding to Besson’s combination of gothic horror and tragic romance.
The Legacy of Luc Besson
For longtime fans, the release of Dracula: A Love Tale marks a significant moment in Luc Besson’s career. His breakout film Léon: The Professional introduced audiences to Natalie Portman and cemented Jean Reno as an international star, while The Fifth Element became a cult classic that blended sci-fi spectacle with his eccentric visual style. Later works such as Lucy (2014) and Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017) divided critics but proved Besson’s commitment to ambitious, large-scale storytelling.
That boldness appears to carry into Dracula: A Love Tale. Rather than settling for a safe, familiar horror film, Besson has opted for a story that attempts to humanise Dracula without stripping away the dread and grandeur that makes the character endure.
What’s Next
Vertical’s commitment to a theatrical release is a gamble, but it could also be a turning point. If audiences embrace Besson’s reimagining of Dracula, it may restore some of the event-movie excitement that once surrounded his projects. At a time when horror and gothic romance are enjoying renewed popularity, the film could find a wide audience eager for something both terrifying and tragic.
With Caleb Landry Jones stepping into the cape, Christoph Waltz adding gravitas, and Danny Elfman’s music underscoring the gothic beauty, Dracula: A Love Tale could prove to be one of the most unexpected highlights of 2026.
The film opens in North American theatres in Q1 2026.
