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Why Is This One Universal Monster Modern Box Office Poison?

ComicBook.com
Story by Lisa Laman
from ComicBook.com
Image from ComicBook.com
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Despite its iconic status, Universal's Dracula franchise has been box office poison in the 21st century, as the studio struggles to revive the vampire's cinematic appeal.
beat sheet
  • The 2024 horror-comedy 'Abigail', loosely based on 'Dracula's Daughter', had a middling box office performance ($42.8 million off a $28 million budget), underscoring the struggle to make modern Dracula films work.
  • Even an acclaimed performance by Oscar-winner Nicolas Cage as Count Dracula in 'Renfield' wasn't enough to inspire box office success, as vampire movies have had a mixed track record outside of the 'Twilight' and 'Hotel Transylvania' franchises.
call sheet
Lisa Laman, Paul Rudd, Jason Segel, Luke Evans, Nicolas Cage, Universal Pictures, Focus Features, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Dracula Untold, The Last Voyage of the Demeter, Renfield, Abigail, Nosferatu (2024), The Wolf Man (2025), The Mummy Returns, The Invisible Man
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