Many actors have played the bloodsucking Count created by author Bram Stoker in his 1897 novel Dracula, but eighty-eight years after his performance first reached theatre screens in Universal's DRACULA it's Bela Lugosi who remains the most popular of them all.
Lugosi first played Dracula on a Broadway stage in 1927, and continued playing the character for over 260 shows as the play toured the United States. He only played Dracula in two feature films, 1931's DRACULA and 1948's ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN, but the role still managed to greatly overshadow his other 110+ screen credits.
The actor passed away in 1956, but he's about to bring Dracula to life (or undeath?) once again in the comic book Bram Stoker's Dracula Starring Bela Lugosi. Coming to us from the comic book arm of Legendary Entertainment, this comic is said to be a faithful adaptation of Stoker's novel, and the Dracula on its pages will look just like Lugosi.
Bram Stoker's Dracula Starring Bela Lugosi is a collaboration between Legendary, the Lugosi Estate, and Kerry Gammill. The comic book will feature art by El Garing and art direction by Gammill.
Lugosi's granddaughter Lynne Lugosi Sparks, CEO of Lugosi LLC, said this about the project:
Bela Lugosi created his unique portrayal of Count Dracula on the Broadway stage and has become a cultural icon for his performance in the 1931 film. This graphic novel beautifully answers the question: What would Lugosi’s performance look like in a direct interpretation of Bram Stoker’s novel? We believe Legendary Comics has proven what fans already know — Bela Lugosi is Dracula."
Legendary Comics SVP Robert Napton added:
There have been great Dracula graphic novels, but to unite Bram Stoker's novel in a faithful adaptation with the definitive Dracula in the form of screen icon Bela Lugosi is a dream come true."
Bram Stoker's Dracula Starring Bela Lugosi will be one of the comics discussed during the "Legendary Comics 2019 and Beyond" panel at the Los Angeles Comic Con this weekend. The book is expected to be published sometime in the fall of 2020.