Luc Besson Interview: Reimagining Dracula as a Gothic Love Story

Описание: Luc Besson, the filmmaker behind The Professional and Anna, returns to gothic storytelling with Dracula, a romantic reworking of Bram Stoker’s novel. The film stars Caleb Landry Jones in the title role, alongside Christoph Waltz – most recently seen in Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein – with Zoë Bleu, Matilda de Angelis, Guillaume de Tonquedec, Ewens Abid and Raphael Luce rounding out the cast.

Besson has said his interest in the project was driven less by the Dracula myth than by a desire to collaborate again with Jones, following their work together on Dogman. While considering roles that might suit the actor, he settled on Dracula, approaching the material from what he has described as “a totally romantic” perspective. His adaptation foregrounds an element of Stoker’s novel he believes has often been neglected: the idea of a man waiting four centuries for the reincarnation of his lost wife.

Set in the 15th century, the film presents Dracula as a prince whose transformation into an immortal figure follows the death of his wife, played by Bleu. The story unfolds as a gothic romance and romantic fantasy, with the character pursued by a priest, portrayed by Waltz.

Ahead of the film’s release in US cinemas on 13 February 2026, we spoke with Luc Besson about reframing Dracula as a story of enduring love rather than monstrosity, constructing an origin story absent from Stoker’s novel, and why 19th-century literature continues to speak so strongly to contemporary audiences.

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