The time is nigh…After more than six decades, the Count returns looking better than ever in the cut the censors tried to bury. Dracula, Hammer’s definitive horror classic, now restored in stunning 4K, will be released in cinemas from 16th October.
Featuring material previously seen only during the film’s original Japanese theatrical run, Dracula has been painstakingly restored by Hammer Films and Silver Salt Restoration in partnership with Warner Bros.
This October’s release in over 100 cinemas across the UK will offer audiences the chance to experience Christopher Lee’s unforgettable portrayal of Count Dracula and Peter Cushing’s iconic Van Helsing in stunning new detail, complete with a brand-new 5.1 surround sound mix and an exclusive look behind the scenes at this landmark restoration.
Hammer Films changed horror cinema forever as Christopher Lee’s unmistakable profile loomed at the top of a dark staircase before declaring, “I am Dracula”. Lee’s performance redefined the vampire on screen for generations, introducing the bloodshot eyes, predatory fangs and visceral physicality that became the blueprint for modern vampire mythology and whose influence can still be seen across horror cinema today.
Hammer’s Dracula marked only the second on-screen pairing of legendary horror icons Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, further establishing one of the most celebrated rivalries in cinema history. Opposite Lee’s commanding and terrifying Count Dracula, Cushing delivered what remains widely regarded as the definitive classic screen portrayal of Professor Van Helsing, a fearless, intelligent and relentlessly driven vampire hunter. Upon its original 1958 release, the film’s intense violence, heightened sensuality and striking use of colour proved so provocative that it was deemed too shocking for audiences.
This distinctive blend of gothic storytelling, bold visual style, vivid colour, practical effects and atmospheric sound would go on to define what audiences would come to expect from a Hammer horror.
Written by Jimmy Sangster, directed by Terence Fisher, scored by James Bernard, with production design by Bernard Robinson, and effects and matte paintings by Les Bowie, Dracula is a convergence of Hammer’s key creative talents, effectively cementing the studio’s iconic gothic style.
Dracula returns to cinemas in a new 4K restoration.
Experience it on the big screen like never before, in select UK cinemas from
16th October.
