News

The 'End of Level' Boss is a time-honored tradition in video gaming history and it's hard to think of a genre that doesn't have a superior foe for you to prove your skill and triumph over.  From the earliest days of gaming to the modern era, these figures have evolved and grown with the nature of the immersive narrative, which has been cultivated by some of the best writers in the genre. 

This is a look at some of my favorites, bosses who tested my skill, whose look and dialogue crawled under my skin and the most satisfying take downs in my gaming career. 

Technodrome

The original Nes Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (...Hero Turtles if you were in the UK) was a frustratingly tough game. I remember distinctively the underwater Dam level and the hellish boss battles which sapped your precious energy.  I almost cried losing turtle after turtle, seeing...

Staying alive in the year 1455 was not an easy task.

As if the lack of medical advances and the whims of deadly diseases weren’t enough, “Castlevania,” the latest Netflix animated series from writer Warren Ellis, adds on the persistent spectre of bloodthirsty hellbeasts bent on destroying all of humankind.

It’s the ideal example of the series attempting to tap into universal themes to amp up the frights originally mined in the Konami video game series. This onscreen world might hold a special place for those who’ve been immersed since its premiere in 1986, but as a work of episodic storytelling, it takes much of its four episodes to firmly establish the kind of series it will be moving forward. (“Castlevania” was renewed for Season 2 the morning Season 1 debuted.)

Read More: ‘Glow’ Review: The Series of the Summer is Netflix’s ’80s Wrestling Comedy

The pilot episode, as an...

By Hank Reineke

One of the more fascinating aspects of the Spanish horror film is that the country’s most famous exports were produced during the near forty year dictatorial regime of Falangist leader Generalissimo Francisco Franco. In interviews conducted following the passing of the repressive dictator in 1975, actor Paul Naschy (the so-called “Lon Chaney of Spanish horror”) often expressed bemusement regarding the restrictions imposed by Spanish censors on his films. Naschy’s horror films were (arguably, I suppose) of either very modest or completely non-political in their design - if not their subtext.

Paul Naschy (aka Jacinto Molina Alvarez) was greatly influenced by the celebrated cycle of gothic horror and mystery films produced by Universal Studios in the 1930s and 1940s. The primary difference between these monochrome films and those Naschy would lens beginning 1968 is unmistakable: most of his films, including the colorful Count Dracula’s Great Love (1971), owed...

Hollywood remakes are pretty much expected these days, and few things are remade as often as horror movies. The low budgets and high returns are typically a winning formula for studios trying to make some quick cash. But that's not to say all of these remakes are necessarily bad.

There have been fairly decent retellings of classic movies of horror's golden age back in the 1930s, and Universal is actually planning on revisiting many of its iconic monsters in the near future. Here are a few that are worth your time and will hopefully inspire you to also go back and watch the originals.

Bram Stoker's Dracula

This 1992 Francis Ford Coppola outing doesn't get anywhere near the credit it deserves. From the costume design to Coppola's impressive direction and Gary Oldman's chilling performance as the titular count, this version of the tale has a truly epic scope and feel...

Johnny Depp continued his Romanian travels on Saturday, traveling with his band Hollywood Vampires to visit the home of the first vampire: Dracula. Depp, Alice Cooper and Joe Perry made a trip to Bran Castle, located in the Carpathian Mountains on the boarder of Transylvania - about 150 miles north of Bucharest. The castle is known worldwide as "Dracula's Castle" after being the only castle that fits the description of the home of the popular vampire in Bram Stoker's 1897 Gothic horror novel. It is more precisely the believed home of Vlad Tepes, the inspiration for the character. Vlad was depicted...

Johnny Depp continued his Romanian travels on Saturday, traveling with his band Hollywood Vampires to visit the home of the first vampire: Dracula. Depp, Alice Cooper and Joe Perry made a trip to Bran Castle, located in the Carpathian Mountains on the boarder of Transylvania - about 150 miles north of Bucharest. The castle is known worldwide as "Dracula's Castle" after being the only castle that fits the description of the home of the popular vampire in Bram Stoker's 1897 Gothic horror novel. It is more precisely the believed home of Vlad Tepes, the inspiration for the character. Vlad was depicted...

3rd Update, 2:45 Pm (Pt): Finals are in for Guardians Of The Galaxy, the No. 1 Bollywood movie this year stateside Bang Bang, director David Fincher’s thriller Gone Girl (which passed $100M stateside), the Denzel Washington action/drama The Equalizer, the animated The Boxtrolls, the Ya hit The Maze Runner, Luc Besson’s Lucy, Universal’s Dracula Untold, Fox’s sequel Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes, Ice Age: The Meltdown In 3-D which debuted in China this weekend to $3.2M on 2,800 plays, and also its buddy comedy Let’s Be Cops. In addition, Warner Bros.’ just reported for its horror film Annabelle and the courtroom drama starring Robert Downey, Jr. and Robert Duvall The Judge, and lest we forget Paramount’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (which debuted strong in the UK this weekend) and Hercules which are still playing in 17 markets. Final tallies for stateside newcomers Fox...

Annabelle edged out Gone Girl this weekend internationally, pulling in $28.1M compared to $26.89M that the Ben Affleck thriller scooped up. Annabelle is now tracking 6% ahead of The Conjuring at the same point in its run. The Conjuring went onto to gross $180.6M overseas for a worldwide total of $318M when it bowed last year. For market by market breakouts, see below. Also added are finals for The Judge, Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Hercules and Relatos Salvajes.

Final Update, Monday, 12:18 Pt: Final numbers are in for many films, but we’re still awaiting Warner Bros. to weigh in before we know who won the weekend wrestling match between its horror film Annabelle and Fox’s Gone Girl (which has held the No. 1 one for two weekends in a row stateside). Fox has reported a little under $27M...

Reviews were decidedly weak for Universal's "Dracula Untold" this past weekend. A strange hybrid that bears no real relation to author Bram Stoker's character, the film opted for an action fantasy spin on real life 15th century Romanian ruler Vlad III who himself partly inspired Stoker's creation.

Yet it also serves as the opening salvo in something more ambitious, Universal's proposed on screen team-up of its classic monsters range. In essence, Luke Evans' Vlad Tepes/Dracula is this supernatural cinematic universe's equivalent of Tony Stark/Iron Man - albeit with a lot less snark and a lot more brooding.

Audiences, especially in global markets, checked it out "Dracula Untold" as the film opened to a so-so $23 million domestically and a more impressive $62 million internationally. 'Untold' was a costly venture though, and eyes will be following its box-office closely in coming weeks to see whether audiences are interested in either a potential monster mash-up,...

Even Affleck's ex is seeing this movie.

It's no wonder Gone Girl is number one again this weekend. Everyone including actor Ben Affleck's ex, Jennifer Lopez, is seeing this one!

Feet up...movie night!!! #GoneGirl pic.twitter.com/EoKjaxHmPV

— Jennifer Lopez (@JLo) October 12, 2014

So if you haven't seen it, join Jlo and kick up those feet. This psychological thriller about a man turned into a possible murder suspect after his wife goes missing is sweeping the box office with an impressive $26.8 million in its second weekend.

With a full frontal Ben Affleck scene, his wife Jennifer Garner even joked about how a wide lens was needed for it.

News: 'Gone Girl' Reviews

Coming in second, Dracula Untold made about $23.4 million in its first opening weekend. The action, drama and fantasy film had an estimated budget of about $100 million. There are vampire attacks as Luke Evans plays Vlad Tepes who makes a deal with...

Dracula Untold, inspired by Bram Stoker’s seminal work of fiction, provides an origin story of the man who became the blood-sucking monster.

Directed by Gary Shore, Dracula Untold dares to give a humanizing backstory for one of the most infamous literay monsters. Working from a script penned by Mark Sazama and Burk Sharpless, Shore helms a movie that blends a sinister gothic tale with comic book blockbuster sensibilities. Starring Luke Evans in the titular role, formerly known as Vlad Tepes, Dracula Untold shows a loving father attempting to do battle with supernatural forces while trying – and failing – to keep them from corrupting his own person.

'Dracula Untold' Reviewed

Dracula Untold has been more or less panned by film critics. While they largely agree that the visuals the film provides are impressive, the substance is sorely lacking. The movie is blasted for how it went about giving Dracula an impetus for his actions,...

Oh, what Marvel Studios hath wrought! In 2012 their movie universe was brought together with Marvel’S The Avengers which became the number three top grossing film of all time. Leading up to that flick and in the follow-ups, characters like Nick Fury and the Black Widow bounced about from franchise to franchise along with countless dialogue references. Well, the studios that had already licensed Marvel characters are attempting the same kind of “synergy”. At Sony, Spider-Man will have spin-offs with supporting characters and even villains, like Venom and the Sinister Six. There’s even talk of the X-Men bumping into the Fantastic Four over at Fox. Finally Warners, with their DC comics’ icons, has followed Marvel’s lead by pitting Superman and Batman in 2016, setting a foundation for their own hero team, the Justice League. Now, how will Universal Studios have a shared movie universe? Since a comic book company...

In the past few years, Luke Evans has gone from virtual unknown to an international star.

The actor left his mark on the London Theatre, starring in several musicals before making his big screen debut in "Clash of the Titans." Since the 2010 film, Evans has starred in over a dozen movies, including hit franchises "The Hobbit," as Bard the Bowman, and "Fast & Furious," where he played an evil mastermind in the sixth installment. This fall, Evans stars as Vlad Tepes in the blockbuster "Dracula Untold."

From his love of Pavarotti to his association with "The Crow," here are 17 things you probably don't know about Luke Evans.

1. Luke Evans was born April 15, 1979 in Pontypool, Wales to Yvonne and David Evans.

2. Evans was raised as a Jehovah's Witness, but left the religion when he was just 16.

3. At the same age, he also left school to pursue a singing and acting career.

4. Evans...

It appears the train that started with Stephen Sommers’ The Mummy (1999) has yet to fully derail. Coming just four years after the failed revival of The Wolfman (2010), Universal, unable to tear itself away from the action-adventure spectacle when it comes to its movie monster greats, has decided to introduce a new film to the fold, this time revealing the origins of monster favorite Dracula in Dracula Untold. The results? A film that does its job: allows you to watch Dracula destroy everything around him in epic fashion, throws in a little romance, a dash of creepiness and gore, all while making you root for the lord of all the undead…and all in about 90 minutes. In other words, it’s nothing you haven’t seen before, but it’s short and to the point.

Raised from a young age in the Turkish army, Vlad Tepes (Luke Evans) rules his kingdom...

This weekend, Steve Carell, Jennifer Garner, and the entire family have a hilariously rough time in "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day," Miles Teller stars as a promising young drummer mentored by a brutal and brilliant J.K. Simmons in "Whiplash," and "The Walking Dead" returns for a highly-anticipated fifth season this Sunday evening on AMC.

Also in theaters this weekend: In "Dracula Untold," Vlad Tepes (Luke Evans) strikes a deal with dangerous supernatural forces to protect his kingdom and family against an invading army, "The Judge" stars Robert Downey Jr. as a lawyer who returns to his childhood home to defend his father (Robert Duvall) -- also the town's judge -- after he's suspected of murder. In "Kill the Messenger," a reporter (Jeremy Renner) becomes the target of a vicious smear campaign after he exposes the CIA's role in importing cocaine into California and arming Contra rebels in Nicaragua.

Dracula Untold

Written by Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless

Directed by Gary Shore

USA, 2014

Ambiguity isn’t tolerated by studios anymore, especially when it comes to high-profile characters that can serve as franchise-starters. And characters don’t come with a higher profile that the lord of vampires himself, Dracula. Origin stories boomed with Batman Begins and Casino Royale, unfortunately the only thing Hollywood took from the success of those films is that Every character needs their backstory completely explained. So now audiences will be served a gritty reboot of an icon they already know very well.

The kingdom of Vlad Tepes (Luke Evans) faces an outside threat in the form of Sultan Mehmed (Dominic Cooper). The Sultan demands money and men for his future conquests, and the request that his young son be asked to join this army, irks Vlad a great deal. So much so that he cuts down...

Comflix just sent me this clip that they created for Dracula Untold, which hits theaters this Friday. They created the comic-styled edit and treatment to share with users and fans of the character. The trailer hints at the character's history and origins without giving too much away. Facing threats to his kingdom and his family, Vlad Tepes makes a deal with dangerous supernatural forces - while trying to avoid succumbing to the darkness himself.  Luke Evans (Fast & Furious 6, Immortals) stars in this origin story of the man who becomes Dracula.  Gary Shore directs and Michael Du Luca produces the epic action-adventure that co-stars Dominic Cooper, Sarah Gadon and Charles Dance.

A solid action fantasy more elemental and visceral than I expected, thanks to the potent presence of Luke Evans. I’m “biast” (pro): love Luke Evans

I’m “biast” (con): fantasy action horror is not in a good place right now

(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)

Untold? Really? How can that be? We’ve been telling Dracula stories for more than a century. There are literally hundreds of movies featuring the Transylvanian bloodsucker (and that’s not counting all the probably thousands of films about vampires who aren’t named Dracula). How can there possibly be anything yet untold about him?

Now, I haven’t seen all those previous movies, but I’ve seen the major ones, so I feel fairly confident in confirming that yes, Dracula Untold seems to have found some new angles on an old, oft-told tale, both in the character...

Remember that opening scene from Francis Ford Coppola's Bram Stoker's Dracula in which we see Vlad "The Impaler" curse God and damn himself to walk the Earth as a vampire? Well, add a few things here and there, extend it to 90 minutes and you have Dracula Untold. Not that that's necessarily a bad thing mind -- especially if you're a fan of the mythology. In what is apparently now being touted as the first movie in Universal's planned series of rebooted "Monsters" flicks, we find reformed murdering bastard Vlad Tepes (Luke Evans) attempting to live the good life as Prince of Wallachia with his adoring wife (Sarah Gadon) and son (Art Parkinson). When the Sultan Mehmed II (Dominic Cooper) arrives on his doorstep demanding 1,000 young boys (including Vlad's) to train as soldiers, Tepes turns to an ancient horror lurking in the mountains (Charles Dance) to harness the power to...

Horror cinema has a long tradition of creating iconic characters and none more so than those borne in the early days of the genre: characters such as Frankenstein’s monster, the Mummy, the Creature from the Black Lagoon and, of course, Dracula – the king of horror. A character who, despite his many cinematic deaths, always returns to the silver screen for one more bite of flesh… As he does this week in Dracula Untold, which features Luke Evans as the evil Vlad Tepes.

With that in mind we thought we’d rundown the ten best unforgettable Dracula performances in cinema. Check them out below and let us know in the comments if you agree or disagree!

Christopher Lee – Dracula (1958)

Dracula (1958) is the first in the series of Hammer Horror films. Directed by Terence Fisher, Dracula (1958) stars Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Melissa Stribling, Carol Marsh and Michael Gough. Retitled Horror of Dracula...

Final Update, 3:30 Pm: Final grosses have been updated for the following films: The Equalizer, The Maze Runner, The Boxtrolls, Annabelle, Lucy, Hercules, Into the Storm, Let’s Be Cops, The Drop, If I Stay, The Dwarf, Boyhood, Get On Up, Sex Tape, horror films The Purge: Anarchy and As Above/So Below, 22 Jump Street, El Nino, Relatos Salvajes, Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends, and the big U.S. tentpoles Guardians of the Galaxy, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Also added are the thriller about hacking

2Nd Update, 6:37 Pm Pt: Despite the arrival of The Equalizer on 4,994 international screens, for a total take of $19M (including Village Roadshow markets), and the continued effort of The Maze Runner, this was a reasonably quiet overseas weekend whose initial estimates for the Top 10 studio releases are down about 15% on last frame. Those numbers don...

Like a lot of iconic movie monsters, Dracula has had a rough time of it over recent years, with one of his most recent live-action adaptations – the NBC television series which starred Jonathan Rhys Meyers – lasting only a single season before being cancelled due to low ratings and a tepid critical response. Perhaps then it’s for the best that Dracula Untold is taking the vampire back to basics as it strives to deliver a very different take on his early years. In this movie, the focus will be on Vlad Tepes (Luke Evans) as he strikes a deal a deal with dark forces in order to protect his family and protect his homeland. To learn more about the movie, watch the featurette below! Luke Evans (Fast & Furious 6, Immortals) stars in Dracula Untold, the origin story of the man who became Dracula. Gary Shore directs and Michael De Luca...

In the interests of full disclosure, I will admit that I am a big fan of vampires. By vampires, I mean proper vampires: blood-sucking Nosferatus with pallid skin and bloody fangs whose ultimate goal is to create an army of the undead, or something like that. As a result, I am willing to give the benefit of the doubt to almost any new attempt to tell a vampire story. But with the upcoming Dracula Untold looking more and more like Underworld Redux, it’s a bit of a struggle even for me.

Dracula Untold is not, as might be hoped, the true story of Vlad Tepes, the Romanian ruler whose reputation as “Vlad the Impaler” partially inspired author Bram Stoker to create his famous vampire. No, Dracula Untold is a vampire movie about how Vlad transforms into a bloodsucker in order to keep the peace in Transylvania and stop Mehmet...

Perhaps you don't know the tale of Vlad Tepes, the first Dracula. Maybe you're just frustrated with me for referring to vampires as Draculas, or implying that it was Vlad not Lilith who was the first vampire.

Dracula Untold will make it's argument for it's status as the Dracula origin story we never knew we wanted with Luke Evans as Vlad. A deal must be made with dark forces to save his family and his kingdom from the conqueror Mehmed, portrayed by Dominic Cooper.

All I know for sure is that until Batman V. Superman comes along, the Dracula Untold IMAX poster will satiate your thirst for gritty bat-based posters.

Source: Fandango...

Like a lot of iconic movie monsters, Dracula has had a rough time of it over recent years, with one of his most recent live-action adaptations – the NBC television series which starred Jonathan Rhys Meyers – lasting only a single season before being cancelled due to low ratings and a tepid critical response. Perhaps then it’s for the best that Dracula Untold is taking the vampire back to basics as it strives to deliver a very different take on his early years. In this movie, the focus will be on Vlad Tepes (Luke Evans) as he strikes a deal a deal with dark forces in order to protect his family and protect his homeland. What do you guys think of this new poster for the movie? Luke Evans (Fast & Furious 6, Immortals) stars in Dracula Untold, the origin story of the man who became Dracula. Gary Shore directs and Michael De Luca...

Bram Stoker.s Dracula is one of the most enduring works of horror fiction. The book has spawned what feels like a billion films about the vampiric count and his lust for blood, with actors like Bela Lugosi and Christopher Lee classically donning the donning the fangs. Luke Evans is the latest leading man to bring the character to life, but will his work compare with that of the greats? See for yourself in these new clips for Dracula Untold. Coming Soon shared two new previews for the upcoming feature, which looks to merge historical fact and popular fiction in an effort to create an origin story for one of cinema.s most enduring monsters. Evans will play Vlad Tepes (better known as Vlad the Impaler), the real life-inspiration for Stoker.s Count. Old Vlad earned his nickname because he had a propensity for impaling his enemies on giant pikes...

Vlad Tepes (Luke Evans) meets Caligula (Charles Dance) in a new clip that has surfaced online for Dracula Untold. This is the first snippet to come from the supernatural action-thriller which hits theaters on October 10th.

Directed by Gary Shore, the action adventure stars Evans, Sarah Gadon, Diarmaid Murtagh, Dominic Cooper, Samantha Barks. The film is an origin tale that looks at how Vlad became the infamous bloodsucker known as Dracula and how he received his powers. His encounter with Caligula here is only the beginning...

The post Vlad Meets Caligula in the Very First Clip from Dracula Untold appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.

Get ready to witness Dracula as you’ve never seen him before. In theaters October 10, Dracula Untold stars Luke Evans in an epic origin story that reveals how the horrific mythological icon came to be. In the film Evans stars as Vlad Tepes, a man forced to strike a deadly deal with dark forces in an attempt to protect his family and defeat the sultan Mehmed (Dominic Cooper), who’s hell-bent on conquering all that gets in his way. Check out this ferociously cool IMAX poster...

Read More

Read Comments...

While most of Universal’s attempts to put a new spin on its classic monsters are still in the scripting stage, Dracula Untold, which looks to explain how Bram Stoker’s famous fanged fiend came into being, is stalking ever closer to our cinemas. To make sure we remember that, the new trailer has gone online. Luke Evans plays Vlad Tepes, a troubled ruler who struggles to protect those around him and especially his wife and son. But when a local sultan decides to round up an army of younglings to wage his latest battle, and demands that Tepes gives up his own boy to boot, it’s one step too far for our ill-fated hero.He seeks out a strange creature living like a hermit (Charles Dance, because why wouldn’t the root of terrifying darkness be Tywin Lannister?) and offers to do anything to score the power to destroy his enemies.

In "Dracula Untold," Luke Evans stars as Vlad Tepes, a normal dude who wants to protect his family and people from an encroaching army. Completely natural, right? Old Vlad is outnumbered, so he visits a totally innocuous-seeming creature living in a cave in the side of a mountain for some advice. Of course, this creepy critter (who is played by none other than Charles Dance, aka Tywin Lannister) offers him quite a deal. All Vlad has to do is drink blood from some poor schmuck's skull to gain all sorts of cool new powers.

There are some downsides to this plan, as Mrs. Tepes (Sarah Gadon) discovers. Will she dig being married to a monster who burns in the sunlight and randomly turns into bats? We'll find out when "Dracula Untold" flaps into Us theaters October 17.

[Via Empire]...

Yesterday we posted the Japanese trailer and now Universal Pictures has released the full UK trailer from the upcoming origin tale "Dracula Untold," starring Luke Evans as Prince Vlad Tepes who goes on to become the Prince of Darkness. The film co-stars Sarah Gadon, Dominic Cooper, Diarmaid Murtagh, and Samantha Barks.

"Dracula Untold" is the origin story of the man who became Dracula. This is the feature film debut of commercial helmer Gary Shore from a screenplay written by Matt Sazama, and Burk Sharpless.

Have a look at the full UK trailer below and let us know what you think.

"Dracula Untold" is set to hit IMAX and 2D theaters on October 17, 2014.

Source: Universal Pictures UK...

After playing secondary characters in blockbusters like “The Hobbit” and “Fast & Furious 6,” Welsh up and comer Luke Evans finally takes the lead as the iconic Bram Stoker monster in Gary Shore‘s “Dracula Untold.” A new Japanese trailer has debuted for the film, which is set to reintroduce audiences to Vlad Tepes (Evans), a Transylvanian prince who offers up his soul in exchange for the safety of his wife (Sarah Gadon) and child (Art Parkinson) from the Ottoman Empire (led by Dominic Cooper as Sultan Mehmed II), transforming him into the world’s first blood-sucking creature of the night. While [...]

The post Watch: Luke Evans in New International Trailer for ‘Dracula Untold’ appeared first on Up and Comers.

In Hollywood’s ongoing quest to wring every last drop of opportunity from everything, we now have an origin story for one of the most legendary characters in literature – Dracula. Created by Bram Stoker in 1897, he has appeared in almost 220 films since slinking onto the literature scene all those years ago. The book in which he was introduced had him shrouded in mystery – describing him and his nefarious exploits, observed from afar – already a monster of many, many years. It could be argued that it is this very air of mystery that has given rise to a deep desire to fill in the blanks, and build the universe from which he sprang. That is the aim of the upcoming Dracula Untold, for which we now have a new trailer.

In an ambitious feature-length debut from commercial director Gary Shore, the film comes from the debut screenplay of Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless.

Maybe you think you know the story of Dracula, but Dracula Untold is unfurling a drama-packed revamp of the classic vampire tale full of gruesome war, family loyalty, and heinous curses. In the trailer above, see Luke Evans (The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, Fast & Furious 6) as Vlad Tepes, a man who will risk anything to save his family from the greedy maws of war, even if it means becoming a monster. Dracula Untold, or Dracula: Year Zero as it seems it's being called overseas, is intended to be a key step in Universal Pictures effort to reboot their classic monsters, like Dracula, Frankenstein, the Invisible Man, Creature From the Black Lagoon and the Wolfman. While the announcement of that plan is relatively recent, this particular re-imagined origin story has been a long time in coming. Back in 2007, The Crow's helmer, Alex Proyas, was hired to direct the project.

Universal Pictures has released a new international trailer (Japanese) for "Dracula Untold" starring Luke Evans as Prince Vlad Tepes who goes on to become the Prince of Darkness. The film is the origin story of the man who became Dracula. 

The film co-stars Sarah Gadon, Dominic Cooper, Diarmaid Murtagh, and Samantha Barks.

"Dracula Untold" is directed by Gary Shore from a screenplay written by Matt Sazama, and Burk Sharpless.

Have a look at the Japanese trailer below and let us know what you think.

"Dracula Untold" is set to hit IMAX and 2D theaters on October 17, 2014.

Source: Toho-Toma...

So have you been waiting for a Dracula movie where the dark lord is handsome, husky and fighting for his family? Well, Bram Stoker's creation is getting dusted off for a reboot: Universal is prepping "Dracula Untold," and a new international trailer tells the story of the bloodsucker before he became a bloodsucker.  Luke Evans takes the lead as Vlad Tepes, a nobleman eager to stop a war that will put the life of his son at risk. But to do so, he must make a deal with an evil power that will see him cursed for all time with a taste for blood, as well as being soundtracked by a band that sounds like Evanescence. The whole thing follows the "gritty equals better" template that Hollywood cannot seem to shake, and the effort here by director Gary Shore seems pretty joyless. While we suppose that's the point, it...

In recent years, studios have celebrated the Halloween holiday with low-risk, low-budget found-footage films that have the potential for huge success. This year could well be different, with Legendary’s Dracula Untold marking a now-infrequent fantasy/horror blockbuster fare heading into the latter genre’s favourite weekend of the year.

Marking one of the first partnerships between Legendary and Universal, the film will have tough competition opening on both sides of the Atlantic next month. In the UK, it squares off against David Fincher’s Gone Girl and the rom-zom-com Life After Beth, starring Dane DeHaan and Aubrey Plaza. And in the Us, Sony opens David Ayer’s Oscar-buzzed Fury, led by Brad Pitt; Relativity has the latest Nicholas Sparks adaptation, The Best of Me; and Fox is releasing potential animated hit, The Book of Life.

Those are two very tough weekends to crack, but Dracula Untold has on its...

Lots of new footage gives more of the supporting players like Sarah Gadon and Dominic Cooper time to shine in this second look at the upcoming fantasy epic "Dracula Rising" from Legendary Pictures and Universal Pictures.

Luke Evans stars in the new film which blends a bit of the real history Vlad Tepes with a whole lot of sword and sorcery fantasy to produce a complete re-imagination of Bram Stoker's famed character, turning the famed vampire into someone more sympathetic. Click the image below to access the link.

Like a lot of iconic movie monsters, Dracula has had a rough time of it over recent years, with one of his most recent live-action adaptations – the NBC television series which starred Jonathan Rhys Meyers – lasting only a single season before being cancelled due to low ratings and a tepid critical response. Perhaps then it’s for the best that Dracula Untold is taking the vampire back to basics as it strives to deliver a very different take on his early years. In this movie, the focus will be on Vlad Tepes (Luke Evans) as he strikes a deal a deal with dark forces in order to protect his family and protect his homeland. Be sure to share your thoughts on the new trailer below! Luke Evans (Fast & Furious 6, Immortals) stars in Dracula Untold, the origin story of the man who became Dracula. Gary Shore directs and Michael De...

Halloween Horror Nights has added another maze to its Orlando and Hollywood lineups, and it revolves around a character who's both brand new and extremely familiar. How can that be? Because it's "Dracula Untold," inspired by the upcoming film of the same name.

From the Press Release:

Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando Resort breathe new life into history’s most notorious vampire, Vlad Tepes, the real life 13th century ruler and inspiration for Bram Stoker’s Dracula in a terrifying new Halloween Horror Nights maze, “Dracula Untold: Reign of Blood.”

Beginning Friday, September 19, 2014, guests can feast on this immersive preview of Universal Pictures’ upcoming epic action-adventure Dracula Untold. Starring Luke Evans, the origin story of the man who became Dracula arrives in theaters on October 17.

“As a huge fan of the Universal Classic Monsters, my interest is certainly piqued any time a film explores other facets of the classic characters,...

Universal Studios is bringing Dracula back to the movie screen with “Dracula Untold: Reign of Blood,” starring Luke Evans as Vlad Tepes, the real life 13th century ruler who became the inspiration for Bram Stoker’s tale about the powerful vampire, Dracula. The film isn’t the only way horror fans can get the “Dracula” experience. Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando Resort is creating a horrifying maze called “Dracula Untold: Reign of Blood.” Starting Sept. 19, guests will get an immersive preview of the film through the maze. “’Dracula Untold: Reign of Blood’ will introduce guests to the sadistic Transylvanian ruler Vlad Tepes, known as ‘Vlad the Impaler,’ who infamously tortured [ Read More ]

The post Dracula Untold Becomes New Halloween Horror Nights Maze appeared first on Shockya.com.

We recently reported that Alien and Predator were invading Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando Resort, and now it’s been revealed that both locations will host another monster, albeit a more human one. From Universal Pictures’ upcoming Dracula Untold, the fanged fiend will be featured in a maze titled, “Dracula Untold: Reign of Blood.”

Attendees of Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando Resort can immerse themselves in the “Dracula Untold: Reign of Blood” maze starting on September 19th, about one month before the Luke Evans-starring Dracula Untold hits theaters on October 17th.

The attraction will give insights into the man behind the monster and the thin, blurred line that separates the two, resulting in Dracula’s increasingly sadistic nature as he bears the weight of eternal damnation. We have the press release with full details:

Orlando, Fla. and Universal City, Calif., Aug.

When Dracula Untold arrives in theaters October 17th, it will tell more than just the origin story of the greatest vampire of all time, it will focus on a family and what one man would do to protect his wife and son; it will focus on a wife who watches her husband transform into something sinister; and, it will focus on a childhood relationship that drives one man's jealousy and anger. When Shock Till You Drop visited the set of Dracula Untold in Belfast, Ireland in the fall of 2013, we spoke to the three actors driving the film's dramatic themes: Luke Evans as Vlad Tepes, Sarah Gadon as his wife Mirena and Dominic Cooper as Mehmet II.

The post Set Report Part 2: Talking With the Cast of Dracula Untold appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.

This castle is under siege and there’s little I can do about it. I’m standing on the outskirts of a scene that is filled with panic. Dust hangs heavy in the air of the castle’s Great Hall. Its people - dressed in period garb courtesy of renown costume designer Ngila Dickson (the Lord of the Rings trilogy) - scramble for safety, dodging the bits of stone that fall to the floor. At any moment, one of the many spires that hang upside-down from the ceiling, like stalactites in a cave, could snap crushing anyone below. The Ottomans are attacking the castle, I’m told. And these frightened people - including Mirena (Sarah Gadon of Brandon Cronenberg’s Antiviral) - are awaiting the return of Vlad Tepes (Luke Evans, Fast & Furious 6). On cue, the doors to the Great Hall swing open and Tepes makes his entrance. Mirena greets him.

You read that headline right. Researchers believe they have found the grave of Vlad Tepes III, better known as Vlad the Impaler, aka the guy who was probably a real vampire if there ever was one. And, of course, they plan on popping that baby open.

No one would even write this as a horror movie because it's too predictable. Let's see, you discover the grave of a man considered by many to be a true vampire, and what do you decide to do?

Bury it in cement? Light it on fire? Encase it in carbonite?

Oh no, they want to open it up, which will undoubtedly release some kind of vampiric apocalypse on the Earth.

According to Roadtrippers.com, Vlad the Impaler ruled in the 15th Century with a penchant for torture. And he was really good at it. And although he wasn't against some genital mutilation, scalping, skinning,...

Like a lot of iconic movie monsters, Dracula has had a rough time of it over recent years, with one of his most recent live-action adaptations – the NBC television series which starred Jonathan Rhys Meyers – lasting only a single season before being cancelled due to low ratings and a tepid critical response.

Perhaps then it’s for the best that Dracula Untold is taking the vampire back to basics as it strives to deliver a very different take on his early years. In this movie, the focus will be on Vlad Tepes (Luke Evans) as he strikes a deal a deal with dark forces in order to protect his family and protect his homeland.

Will we see his descent into the blood sucking villain that we all know so well from previous movies, or could the studio be looking at Dracula Untold as the first in a series of movies exploring Dracula’s early years?...

If you thought you knew the story of Dracula, think again, because Luke Evans is here to drop a truth bomb with the untold story of the world’s most legendary bloodsucker. Haven’t you ever wondered exactly how and why Dracula became the night walking, fanged, tower dwelling monster who haunted your nightmares and cluttered the aisles of your local Halloween superstore? (No? Could you please play along?) The first trailer for Dracula Untold, brought to us by director Gary Shore, makes no qualms about diving right into the action of an ancient and mysterious war. Vlad Tepes (Evans, of The Hobbit) is a masterful fighter who’s always been a hero, but he doesn’t want his son to get involved, so he must figure out how to stop the madness before it gets out of hand. Naturally, this entails hiking up the most treacherous cliff face known to man and seeking the guidance of...

If you're a Hollywood studio and you have to pay big bucks to include a cover song from one of the hottest acts in the world to make your trailer seem cool nine times out of 10 it's not a good sign.  Enter the first preview for Universal Pictures and Legendary Pictures "Dracula Untold." Directed by commercial director Gary Shore, "Untold" features Luke Evans ("The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug") as Vlad Tepes, a prince from ancient times who must make a deal with "a" devil ("Game of Thrones'" Charles Dance covered in makeup) to save his family and kingdom from an evil Sultan (Dominic Cooper looking for a paycheck).  Or course, that means becoming a vampire and all the bloodsucking issues that comes with it.  But, as the trailer wants you to remember, he's a hero this time around!  He's sacrificed everything to save his family!  He's just been misunderstood all these years!

Bram Stoker’s Dracula is one of the most enduring works of horror literature ever created, and it’s been the basis for roughly 58 million movies. While the vampire tale is incredibly familiar, Gary Shore is looking to take things in a new direction with Dracula Untold. You can check out the first trailer below and see if this new take gets your blood flowing. Taking a page from Francis Ford Coppola’s 1992 film, Dracula Untold manages to tie the iconic vampire character to his real-life inspiration, Vlad Tepes, aka Vlad the Impaler. Luke Evans stars as the historical Dracula, who starts out as a good guy, but finds himself on the wrong side of the line between good and evil when he makes a deal with the Devil (played by Game of Thrones’ very own...

Read More...

Briefly coming online the other day before being yanked, Universal has now officially released the first trailer for "Dracula Untold," a $100 million reimagining of the Dracula story which, much like "300," combines epic fantasy elements with the historical story of Vlad Tepes (Vlad the Impaler). The project was shot in Northern Ireland which essentially stands in for ancient Romania.

The trailer itself shows that the film's tone bends much more towards the fantastical though - Luke Evans seeking an ancient vampire in a mountain cave (Charles Dance) who turns him into the dreaded Dracula. The newly vamped Vlad's big power is being able to control and/or turn into a massive swarm of bats. Much of the last 30 seconds showcases essentially 'Bat tornadoes' tearing into the invading army of Mehmed the Conqueror (Dominic Cooper).

There's a blend of "Van Helsing," "300" and even "Maleficent" here with its attempt to give this darkest...