EXCLUSIVE: Global distributors have sunk their teeth into Radu Jude’s Dracula ahead of the vampire comedy-drama’s world premiere in Locarno Film Festival’s main competition.
Luxbox has sold the film to Météore Films in France, I Wonder Pictures in Italy, Niutafilms for Scandinavia, Filmgarten in Austria, Independenta Film in Romania, Aurora Films in Poland, Beta Film in Bulgaria, Xenix Filmdistribution in Switzerland, Scanorama in the Baltic States and MCF Megacom Film and Fivia D.O.OO in the Western Balkans. 1-2 Special has acquired the film for North America.
Romanian writer-director Jude’s take on the famous Gothic horror story is shot and set in Transylvania where the original myth originated. It blends several plots and genres, from a vampire hunt to AI-generated kitsch stories, a tragic romance, and Dracula crashing a strike – with a central thread of a young director trying to make a film about Dracula.
The film is produced by Romania’s Saga Film, with Austria’s Nabis Filmgroup, Luxembourg’s Paul Thiltges Distribution who will also handle its release in the country, Brazil’s RT Features, Luxembourg’s Samsa Film, Switzerland’s Bord Cadre Films, the UK’s Sovereign Films who will also release the film in the UK and Ireland, and Romania’s MicroFILM.
Dracula marks Jude’s return to Locarno competition two years after Do Not Expect Too Much From the End of the World. He had two films play out of competition last year – Eight Postcards From Utopia, co-directed with Christian Ferencz-Flatz, and Sleep #2. Jude reteams with Luxbox after Kontinental ’25 which premiered in competition in Berlin in February and won the Silver Bear for best screenplay.