New R-Rated Dracula Movie From Acclaimed Director Sets Exciting New Release At The Perfect Time

Published Oct 12, 2026, 10:00 AM EDT

Hannah Gearan (she/her) is has been writing for ScreenRant for over three years. Her deep cinema love traces back to age 11, when she equipped herself with a spiral-bound notebook, rated all the films she watched, and declared herself a critic. About a decade later, she received a BA from Wesleyan University, where she studied Film, Environmental Studies, and Writing. Hannah’s short film, Toxic Faucets, has screened at numerous film festivals, including the Independent Film Festival of Boston (IFFBoston). As a Movie News writer now, she draws upon her vast experience studying, making, and analyzing film as she approaches dynamic breaking stories. 

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Audiences have been fascinated by the Dracula story ever since Bram Stoker's original gothic novel was published in the late 19th century. Since then, there have been several renowned adaptations of the work, including the classic 1931 theatrical version with Bela Lugosi as the titular vampire. Nearly a decade before that, the German director F.W. Murnau helmed Nosferatu, a German Expressionist classic that was recently adapted by Robert Eggers in 2024.

Potentially flying under the radar for some fans, another Dracula adaptation was released in February 2026. This version was directed by Luc Besson. It featured Caleb Landry Jones as a 15th century prince named Vlad who loses his wife and subsequently denounces God, which saddles him with the curse of becoming Dracula. In addition to Jones, Dracula features a leading cast including Christoph Waltz, Guillaume de Tonquédec, Zoë Bleu, and Matilda De Angelis. Like those that came before it, Besson's version is based on the Stoker novel.

Luc Besson's Dracula Is About To Take A Bite Out Of Paramount+

Now, Paramount+ has officially announced that Besson's version of Dracula is coming to the platform. It will sink its teeth into the streamer today, October 12, giving audiences time to catch up with it right in the middle of the October horror season. The movie comes to Paramount+ as part of the platform's Peak Screaming collection, which includes other Halloween-appropriate thrillers and spooky films. Other movies in the Peak Screaming collection include Hotel Transylvania and its sequel, It Follows, Parasite, The Crow, and Shutter Island.

Dracula's addition to Paramount+ comes about eight months after the movie made an understated theatrical debut. The film grossed just $42.5 million worldwide, $13 million of which came from domestic markets. For horror these days, this is a fairly paltry total, especially with something adapting an extremely well known character. Now, Dracula will have a chance to win over audiences who may have missed it in theaters.

The Bram Stoker Adaptation Starkly Divided Critics & Audiences

Besides its underwhelming box office, it has not been an easy road for Besson's Dracula. The film had critics and audiences who saw it split, getting a 54% Tomatometer on Rotten Tomatoes. This included a 4 out of 10-star review from ScreenRant, with Gregory Nussen calling the movie "a terribly boring, tonally askew slog with very little innovation." Audiences were a lot more generous by contrast, awarding 2026's Dracula an 82% Popcornmeter. With Dracula now available on Paramount+, it is in audience's hands to set this movie's legacy moving forward.