There’s no doubt that Dracula is one of the most popular literary characters to be adapted into new media; the master vampire has featured in at least five movies and TV shows in the last five years alone, including Nosfersince it was originally an unauthorized version of Dracula. Modern versions of the character seem to be favoring the more monstrous look of the villain that appeared in the original Bram Stoker novel, but there was a long period when he was often a more conventionally attractive villainlike Claes Bang’s portrayal in the Dracula miniseries from BBC. And although he might not be the first one to come to mind, Gerard Butler fit the “smokin’ hot vampire” archetype surprisingly well in his early career: his first leading role, a full six years before his real breakthrough in 300was the blood-sucking lead in Dracula 2000. And although a rushed production led to a movie that producer Wes Craven eventually disowned, there’s something comfortingly familiar about Butler’s performance. The movie is also an incredible time capsule of the year it was made and set, with Butler sharing the screen with the likes of Jonny Lee Miller and singer Vitamin C, of all people. Not to mention all the late 90s/early 2000s style—who doesn’t want to see Dracula in the same room as a transparent telephone?
‘Dracula 2000’ Tried To Give Vampire Lore a New, Hip Update
Dracula 2000 is set in, you guessed it, the year 2000where the original Bram Stoker novel exists but was secretly based on true events. Abraham Van Helsing (Christopher Plummer) is still alive and well in modern times and is keeping the body of the one and only Dracula sealed away in a vault until he can find a way to truly kill him. When a group of thievesmade up of 90s and 2000s staple actors including Omar Epps and Jennifer Esposito, break into the vault expecting to find money or valuables, they inadvertently reawaken Dracula (Butler), who quickly turns on them to regain his strength. But since Van Helsing used Dracula’s blood to gain his quasi-immortality, Dracula feels an irresistible connection to Van Helsing’s only daughter, Mary (Justine Waddell). Dracula travels to New Orleans (during Mardi Gras, of course) to find Mary and discovers all the delights of the new millennium along the way, from transparent plastic phones to nu metal blaring from every speaker.
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Setting a Dracula adaptation in contemporary times isn’t a new concept, of course; Blacula did it in 1972and the trend has continued with the likes of Racing in 2023. But Dracula 2000 is interesting because it was specifically written to encapsulate the year of its releasehence the title. Miramax was determined to make a hip, modern movie based on the title, despite a less-than-stellar script. They rushed the entire production, so from initial photography to final cut, it was finished in just six months. The inevitable problem with making such a “modern” movie is that it quickly becomes the opposite; with its alt-rock/nu-metal soundtrack, multiple scenes set in or around a Virgin Megastore (now mostly defunct), and even the cast itself, Dracula 2000 is firmly stuck in its Y2K setting—but that’s not inherently a knock against it. It’s a pretty ridiculous movie, but it’s also a sort of fun, millennial-nostalgia piece.
A Young Gerard Butler Takes a Real Bite Out of the Role of Dracula
A virtually unknown Scottish actor might not be your first choice to play an iconic character often portrayed with an English accent, if not an Eastern European one. But possibly the weirdest thing about Dracula 2000 is that Gerard Butler is kind of perfect for the part. Then there’s his appearance in the movie: this version of Dracula is solidly in the “young and buff” category of common vampire depictionsand Butler is both, at least comparatively. Anyone who’s seen 300 knows how well Butler can pull off a muscled hunk lookand Dracula 2000 definitely plays up that aspect. And it was his first leading role as well, beating out his performance in The Phantom of the Opera by four years. And speaking of his role as the titular Phantom, whether or not you enjoyed his singing, there’s something magnetic about his moodiness in the role, likely because he’d basically perfected that darkly charismatic personality already as Dracula. Basically, his performance in Dracula 2000 is the epitome of Butler’s early careerbefore his current action-hero era: sexy, strong, and undeniably Scottish. Hiding his natural accent has been a known struggle for Butler since at least P.S. I Love You, but at this point, it’s almost a beloved trademark of the actor.
Dracula 2000 is no exception, because when Butler finally gets the chance to speak around the prosthetic vampire teeth in his mouth, he definitely sounds Scottish. It might not fit the character he’s playing, but it’s authentically Gerard Butler, and for die-hard fans, it should stand as a can’t-miss performance.
