Jonathan Bailey’s performance in the upcoming audio adaptation of the classic vampire novel Dracula is “sensual”, its director has teased.
The adaptation from Audible, which is titled Dracula, is being released in seven languages: English, Castilian Spanish, French, German, Italian, LATAM Spanish, and Brazilian Portuguese.
The English-language version, which is set to be released on 1 October 2026, will also star the likes of Lesley Manville (Phantom Thread) as Mrs Westenra and Ella Purnell (Fallout) as Mina, alongside Bailey (Bridgerton) as Dracula.
Speaking at a preview of the adaptation at the Venice Film Festival over the weekend, the director of the English-language version, Mary Lambert, said (via Deadline): “There’s some very sexual stuff in Dracula and there’s some very sexual stuff in the script. It was directing the actors to go to that place of sensuality and desire and to go for it… some of the outtakes are pretty hot.”
Speaking about directing only the stars’ voices she added: “Of course, you want to see Jonathan Bailey’s face when he’s acting, he’s amazing, but that just wasn’t an option.
“But there were so many other things that you can do… you can repeat the performance over and over again… you don’t have to worry about, ‘Oh, if we do this take again, we have to reset the cameras, we have to reset the lights, we have to bring in makeup.’ You can just really drill down on, ‘Do we have the emotion? Are we happy with the way this sounds?'”
Also starring in the English-language version are Aimee Lou Wood (The White Lotus) as Lucy, Louis Partridge (Enola Holmes) as Jonathan, David Jonsson (Industry) as Dr Seward, Johnny Flynn (Ripley) as Renfield, Francis Lovehall (A Thousand Blows) as Arthur and Maggie Gyllenhaal (The Dark Knight) as Professor Van Helsing.
The official plot synopsis for Dracula reads: “When her fiancé vanishes in Transylvania, Mina Murray pieces together fragments of letters, diary entries and chilling testimony to hunt the predator stalking those she loves, only to discover he’s already hunting her.
“When Mina’s closest friend Lucy succumbs to his thrall, the enigmatic Professor Van Helsing is summoned to wage war on this unfathomable threat.
“But it is Mina, with her intellect, her resolve, her gift for drawing unseen lines between clues, who may hold the key to stopping this ancient predator—if he hasn’t already found his way inside her mind.”
Meanwhile, starring in the leading roles as Dracula and Mina in the international versions are Omar Sy and Deva Cassel (French), Riccardo Scamarcio and Benedetta Porcaroli (Italian), Matthias Schweighöfer and Jeanne Goursaud (German), Asier Etxeandia and Claudia Salas (Castilian Spanish), and José María de Tavira and Esmeralda Pimentel (LATAM Spanish).
The English version of Dracula will be available exclusively on Audible on 1 October 2026.
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