The Big Picture
Luc Besson has already started filming a new
Dracula
adaptation in Finland with Caleb Landry Jones and Christoph Waltz.
The film focuses on a centuries-long love story following Prince Vladimir.
Landry Jones is undergoing intense preparation for the role, including dialect work and weight loss.
Last month, it was announced that Luc Besson would be directing a new adaptation of Dracula, set to star Caleb Landry Jones and Christoph Waltz. The evergreen novel by Bram Stoker has been a perennial favorite of filmmakers since its release, and Besson has now confirmed that not only is it his next project, but that he’s already begun work on it.
The new Dracula film will adapt the classic story which follows “15th century Prince Vladimir, who cursed God following the death of his beloved wife and is turned into a vampire. Later, in 19th century London, he discovers his wife’s doppelgänger and dooms himself by pursuing her.”
Speaking with Collider’s Steve Weintraub whilst promoting his upcoming project, DogMan, Weintraub inquired as to what Besson would be working on next. It was at this point that Besson revealed that the Dracula project wasn’t just in the planning stages and that he had already begun principal photography, shooting the movie in Finland where they would be filming for the next four months. Besson added that he would be focusing on the romantic aspect of the classic novel for his adaptation. The director explained:
“I’ve started already. I’m gonna make another movie with Mr. Caleb Landry Jones and Mr. Christoph Waltz —
Dracula
.
I started a few days ago in Lapland in the north.
We’ll probably finish at the end of July. [I was drawn to] the love story. When you read the book, for me the most interesting part is this man who’s gonna wait for centuries and centuries because he wants to see his wife again. So for me, it’s the ultimate love story.”
How is Caleb Landry Jones Playing ‘Dracula’?
Image via Briarcliff Entertainment
Besson also praised Landry Jones for the work he had put in on not just DogMan, but Dracula too. The intention is for him to lose weight, work on the Transylvanian accent, and prepare mentally for the role, as Besson intends to begin working with both Waltz and Landry Jones next month. He also noted that the film would “probably” come out next year, but that he was uncertain. “[Caleb is undergoing] the same preparation. You need the Romanian accent so you have to work on that a lot. He has to lose weight, and then prep, like we did with DogMan,” he explained. “The same thing. But he’s not gonna start right now. He’s gonna start in a month. We’re shooting everything in the snow.”
DogMan opens in limited theaters on March 29 before expanding nationwide on April 5. Stay tuned to Collider for updates on Dracula. Check out the trailer for the movie below:
DogMan
A boy, bruised by life, finds his salvation through the love of his dogs.
Release Date March 29, 2024
Director Luc Besson
Runtime 114 Minutes
Main Genre Crime
Writers Luc Besson
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