DRACULA COMES TO LIFE THROUGH HAND-DRAWN ANIMATION: CEL ANIMATION ANNOUNCES TRADITIONAL 2D FEATURE FILM
Bram Stoker’s novel is at the heart of a new production by Cel Animation Motions, bringing together Gothic imagery,
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Bram Stoker’s novel is at the heart of a new production by Cel Animation Motions, bringing together Gothic imagery, cinematic tension and hand-drawn animation by Walton Zed, with music by José Cura.
NEW YORK, NY, Sept. 14, 2026 — Cel Animation has announced a casting call for Dracula – The Animated Movie, a traditional 2D animated feature based on Bram Stoker’s novel. Produced by Cel Animation Motions, the film brings one of literature’s most enduring figures into a world created through drawing, light, movement and sound.
The film presents Stoker’s universe as Gothic horror and a vision of a society beginning to collapse. Castles, landscapes and transformations form a visual language shaped by fear, seduction and suspense.
IMDb currently lists Dracula as a 2030 Animation and Horror feature in development, with a planned running time of 120 minutes. The three-year production is expected to involve hundreds of artists, animators, technicians and performers, with an estimated budget of $54 million. The release year and running time remain subject to change.
“Dracula is a character audiences think they already know. Our challenge is to make them feel the thrill of encountering him again,” said David Guido Pietroni, Producer of Cel Animation Motions. “Traditional animation allows us to construct every glance, shadow and transformation through drawing. We want the images to bring the danger closer and, when Dracula appears, to make audiences hold their breath.”
“Drawing Dracula means creating a world where darkness is no longer the exception, but the natural order of things,” said Walton Zed, Head of Traditional Animation at Cel Animation Motions. “Every image must suggest a civilization on the verge of collapse: cities like prisons and spaces where even light seems watched. Every frame should show the familiar world giving way.”
Published in 1897, Stoker’s novel follows Jonathan Harker from Transylvania into a struggle unfolding across England. Mina, Lucy and Van Helsing emerge through diaries, letters and testimony as an ancient presence enters modern life. The Demeter, Whitby and Dracula’s castle provide central images for the adaptation.
Traditional 2D animation places artists and character performance at the center of the film. Expressions, gestures and movement become dramatic instruments alongside composition, atmosphere and sound.
“The music of Dracula, together with its sound design, must emerge from what cannot be seen but can be felt approaching,” said José Cura, Composer and Sound Designer. “Fear is most powerful when it slips in unnoticed. The score should merge with the soundscape, emerge almost imperceptibly and gradually become melody.”
Further information about roles, eligibility and submission procedures will be released through Cel Animation’s official casting channels. The call will seek performers able to give voice and dramatic weight to characters whose influence has endured for generations.
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Company: Cel Animation Motions
Contact Person: Entertainment Editorial Team
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Website: www.celanimation.com
Phone: +1 (929) 460-0544
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