Christoph Waltz’s Must-See Dracula Movie Becomes Vertical’s Biggest Opening

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Dracula is a classic Gothic horror story that has been adapted into many movies and TV shows. Now, Luc Besson, the director of The Fifth Element, has created a new version starring Christoph Waltz.

The movie first came out in France on July 30, 2025, but it recently opened in the U.S. and Canada on February 6th, distributed by Vertical. According to reports, Dracula quickly became Vertical’s biggest opening weekend success, earning $4.5 million from 2,050 theaters and breaking a recent record for the distributor.

The previous record holder was , which brought in $2.5 million on its opening weekend in January.

Following the weekend box office results, Vertical Entertainment’s President of Theatrical Distribution, Steve Bunnell, announced that Dracula had reached a milestone, landing in the top 5 for the first time, debuting at number five.

Bunnell described the film as a wonderfully exciting and romantic experience, perfect for Valentine’s Day.

This movie, sometimes called Dracula: A Love Tale, reimagines the classic horror story as a romance. It’s based on Bram Stoker’s famous 1897 novel, Dracula.

This reimagining of the story starts with Prince Vladimir of Wallachia and his wife, Princess Elizabeta, both still living. Vladimir is summoned to fight in the Ottoman army, and while he’s away, Elizabeta suffers a terrible death. Consumed by grief and rage, Vladimir kills the priest he entrusted with her care. As punishment for this act, he is cursed with immortality and transformed into a vampire, forever needing blood to survive.

This latest version isn’t as scary as previous ones, but it explores the difficult emotions of loss and sadness. Caleb Landry Jones stars as Dracula, and Academy Award winner Christoph Waltz plays the priest tasked with defeating him.

Zoë Bleu stars as both Elisabeta and Mina Murray, alongside Guillaume de Tonquédec as Dumont and Ewens Abid as Jonathan Harker.

Dracula’s New Box Office Record Is Exiciting for Smaller Distributors

The recent Dracula movie has earned $29.1 million globally, despite costing around $52 million to make. Although it probably won’t make a profit, the film’s success shows that smaller distribution companies are becoming major players in the movie business.

The film has received mixed reviews, with critics giving it a low score of 56% based on 88 reviews. However, audiences seem to enjoy it more, giving it a 79% rating.

Major studios such as Disney, Warner Bros., Sony, and Paramount often have large budgets and famous actors, but that also means they take on significant financial risks. In contrast, A24 has thrived by focusing on smaller, more unique films. A recent example is Marty Supreme, starring Timothée Chalamet, which has become A24’s most commercially successful movie ever.

Dracula is playing in theaters.

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2026-02-08 20:37