UPDATE: Besson is confirming that production has begun on “Dracula” in Finland. Shooting is set to continue until July. It’s being described by Besson as a “love story.”
EARLIER (02.17.24): In the summer of 2023, while some folks were freaking out over Luc Besson being exonerated in court, and the fact that he was going to premiere “Dogman” at Venice, the French filmmaker was very low-key working on a new project.
That’s right, Besson, who was supposedly “canceled,” has another film he’s about to shoot, and it’s an adaptation of Dracula. The film will reunite Besson with his “Dogman” star Caleb Landry Jones, and Christoph Waltz is also said to be part of the cast. THR reports that more “buzzy” casting will be announced soon.
Besson is also writing and producing the film which is being described as a “big-budgeted film” that will be a retelling of Bram Stoker’s classic Gothic tale with Landry-Jones set to play the Transylvania Count-turned vampire.
Besson, who is 64, has been embroiled in #MeToo controversies these last few years. However, he was exonerated in court twice, including this past June where he was cleared of all charges, following a ruling by the Court of Cassation, the highest judicial court in France.
Besson is known for his successful streak of ‘80s amd ‘90s films such as “The Big Blue,” "La Femme Nikita," "Leon: The Professional," and "The Fifth Element.” He also wrote 2008’s highly influential “Taken,” which kickstarted a slew of one-man-killing-machine ripoffs such as “John Wick.”
I still stand by my take that his 2014 film, “Lucy,” is a strong film — very underrated work from Besson and actress Scarlett Johansson, which also featured one of the boldest big studio climaxes of the last decade. Was it a great film? Maybe not, but it was immensely watchable.
Meanwhile, “Dogman,” which has so far earned $4 million internationally, was picked up by Briarcliff Entertainment for U.S. release, it’ll be out in theaters on March 15