Last summer, Luc Besson’s Dracula: A Love Tale made its theatrical premiere in France, and is set to have a wide theatrical release in the United States in February 2026. An adaptation of the 1897 novel Dracula by Bram Stoker, the film follows Prince Vladimir of Wallachia (Caleb Landry Jones), a 15th-century prince who, after the death of his wife Elisabeta (Zoë Bleu), renounces God and becomes Dracula. It’s the classic archetypal vampire tale we know and love, the magnetically alluring—yet physically repulsive—monster who seduces unwilling women and creates others in his likeness with a single bite. But what often gets overlooked amid the fantasy, the Gothic horror, and the sanguine is the romance. At the heart of the story, Dracula is the story of a man of indomitable will who spends 400 years searching for his wife, waiting an eternity for love’s return.

For Zoë Bleu, who plays both Elisabeta and her reincarnation, Mina, the film became a deeply transformative experience. “I came on that set very nervous, as this was my first lead role and it was with some of my biggest, most favorite actors,” says Bleu. “There were moments when I felt really scared, and I questioned myself, ‘Why am I an actress? Is this what I want to do?’” What helped her push through was the trusting relationship she developed with director Besson, who consistently reminded her of her own power. “He’s like a wizard; he’s truly a world-builder,” she says. “We need artists like this who want to bring magic and fantasy into our world, because it’s a very dark place.”

For four to five months, Bleu immersed herself in dream assignments and sensory work guided by two acting coaches—one of whom also prepped Lily-Rose Depp for Nosferatu. “Dream assignments basically help merge the character with your soul—your subconscious. I started writing these letters every night to Mina and Elisabeta,” Bleu explains. “It’s very esoteric and mystical.” The further she leaned into the process, the bigger her dreams became. “It’s a surreal way of approaching it, but that’s what a lot of this craft is. It’s surreal. You’re alchemizing your own life experiences to portray the character you’ve been given.” 

Bleu also took Japanese butoh dance classes alongside her co-star Landry Jones. Butoh—an avant-garde dance-theatre form that emerged in post-WWII Japan in the late 1950s, founded by Tatsumi Hijikata and Kazuo Ohno—is defined by slow, deliberate movement that exists in the space between beauty and horror. “It’s like telling a story about what’s happened to your heart, but with movement. That helped with our intimacy and getting to know each other.”

Offscreen, Bleu’s relationship to fashion feels like a natural extension of the same elemental, almost spiritual inner life that shapes her performances. Her personal style—often glimpsed through gauzy silhouettes and liquid hues—draws directly from the natural world. “All of my garments are inspired by the elements—fire, earth, air, water—but specifically water these days.” Blues, seafoam greens, and fluid textures recur in her wardrobe, evoking something tidal and otherworldly. Nature, she insists, remains her ultimate reference point: “Nature’s my favorite designer. No one does it better.”

As Dracula: A Love Tale prepares for its U.S. release, Bleu finds herself less focused on what comes next than on who she gets to share it with. After months of the film living overseas, she’s excited for friends and family to finally see the work that has occupied so much of her inner life. But what Bleu is most eager for has less to do with exposure and more to do with impact. Despite its Gothic framing, she insists this is not a film meant to unsettle. “You would expect to leave a Dracula movie feeling freaked out and disturbed—and that’s not our movie,” she says. “Ours is really sweet.” She recalls being stopped on the street by a woman who told her the film made her believe in love again. “Even for one person to feel that way—it means everything.”

This story appears in the pages of V158: now available for purchase!

Photography Dennis Leupold
Fashion Matthew Mazur
Hair Ericka Verrett (A-Frame)
Makeup Melissa Hernandez (A-Frame)
Set Design Ali Gallagher
Set Design Leadman Zoran Radanovich
Casting Kev Ponce
Production Sophie Meister (Locals Worldwide)
Photo Assistants Tom Blanco, Ben Chant
Fashion Assistant Zander Slayton
Hair Assistant Niko Verrett
Makeup Assistant Karissa O’Hanlon
Studio Agpwest Studio
Studio Manager Alexey Galetskiy (Agp NYC)