Gary Shore directed "Dracula Untold," which came out in 2014, and it recounts the story of Dracula’s beginnings. Set in the 15th century, the film follows Prince Vlad the Impaler (played by Luke Evans) as he tries to safeguard his small kingdom of Wallachia—now located in Romania—from a Turk warlord (Dominic Cooper). The warlord demands a thousand young boys from Wallachia and Transylvania, including Vlad’s own son. Facing an overwhelming Turkish army, Vlad enters into a questionable agreement with a powerful vampire held captive to gain dark abilities and rescue his family and kingdom; Sarah Gadon portrays Vlad's wife. At one point, the filmmakers considered incorporating "Dracula Untold" into Universal’s Dark Universe franchise, and the ending of the film, which takes place in modern times, hints at this possibility, suggesting a series of films. This plan was later abandoned when “The Mummy” (2017) became the first official installment in that shared universe. Despite this, "Dracula Untold" did reasonably well financially, earning $56.3 million domestically and $217.1 million worldwide, despite having a production budget of $70 million. My title says it all: “Dracula Untold” is essentially the dark Superman story set in 15th-century Eastern Europe, where Dracula has the strength to defeat an army numbering a thousand soldiers. If you enjoyed the opening sequence from Coppola’s "Bram Stoker's Dracula" (1992), chances are you’ll find something to like here, as this film references that earlier work. The movie is visually impressive and features a talented cast. However, unlike “Bram Stoker’s Dracula,” the pacing feels rushed and doesn’t allow for much breathing room; consequently, the characters aren't developed as thoroughly as they could be. It's an acceptable film, but ultimately feels empty and not particularly memorable. "Bram Stoker’s Dracula" might have been a bit too slow, while “Dracula Untold” moves too quickly. I would have preferred if the filmmakers had found a balance between the two because with just a little more time devoted to detail, it could have really been something special. The film has a running time of 1 hour and 32 minutes and was filmed entirely in Northern Ireland. The screenplay was written by Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless. Grade: B

Source on TMDB