New R-Rated Dracula Movie From Acclaimed Director Has Critics & Audiences Very Divided On Rotten Tomatoes

A new Dracula movie is enchanting audiences after its United States release.

This new version of the classic Dracula story centers on a prince from the 1400s who is devastated when his wife dies. Consumed by grief and anger at God, he transforms into the infamous Dracula, driven by the hope of finding his wife again in a future life.

Early reviews of the new Dracula movie were mixed. While Caleb Landry Jones received high praise for his performance as Dracula and the film’s dark, gothic style was well-received, many critics found the movie’s tone to be uneven. This inconsistency has resulted in a 54% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Viewers seem to be enjoying Luc Besson’s take on the vampire tale, with many liking the focus on the romance. Currently, Dracula has a strong audience score of 76% based on over 100 reviews. Despite the success of this new version, Tod Browning’s 1931 film and Francis Ford Coppola’s Bram Stoker’s Dracula are still considered definitive versions of the story.

The new version of Dracula, coming in 2026 and starring Christoph Waltz and Zoë Bleu, is the latest take on this classic story. Recent adaptations have tried new approaches, like Renfield, which focuses on the relationship between Dracula and his assistant, and The Last Voyage of the Demeter, which tells the story of a specific section of the original novel, “The Captain’s Log.”

Besson was drawn to the story because he realized at its heart was a love story between the vampire and the person he loved. Unlike most adaptations that emphasize horror and fantasy, Besson decided to focus on the character’s sad past and what led him to become a vampire.

The new movie, which cost around $52 million to make, has already earned $30 million thanks to its release in France last summer. It’s now being released around the world, including in the United States on February 6, 2026.

Dracula is now playing in theaters in the United States.

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2026-02-07 17:19