Dracula 2000

Dracula 2000 (also known as Wes Craven Presents: Dracula 2000 and internationally as Dracula 2001) is a 2000 American supernatural horror film co-written and directed by Patrick Lussier, produced by Joel Soisson, and starring Gerard Butler in the title role along with Christopher Plummer, Jonny Lee Miller, Justine Waddell, Omar Epps, Colleen Fitzpatrick, Jeri Ryan, and Jennifer Esposito. Its plot follows Count Dracula, who, after having escaped captivity by Abraham Van Helsing over a century following the events of the novel Dracula, arrives in New Orleans, Louisiana in the 21st century and seeks out Mary Heller, the modern-day daughter of Van Helsing. The screenplay incorporates a theological subplot regarding Dracula's origins, revealing him to be Judas Iscariot. Principal photography of Dracula 2000 took place on location in New Orleans and Toronto in the summer of 2000. The film had a rushed post-production process, with reshoots and editing occurring in the fall of 2000, shortly before the studio's December release deadline. Dracula 2000 was released theatrically in the United States and Canada on December 22, 2000. It received largely negative reviews from critics, and was a box-office bomb, grossing $47.1 million against a $54 million budget. Dracula 2000 was followed by two direct-to-video sequels, Ascension in 2003 and Legacy in 2005. Series director Lussier and Joel Soisson, who co-wrote all three films, created a plot for a fourth film and discussed releasing it theatrically, but the film was not produced.