News

Abrahams Boys A Dracula Story- The Tragic Legacy of Van Helsing’s Sons

Stephen King’s son, Joe Hill (full name: Joseph Hillstrom King), is a horror author just like his father. His

Abrahams Boys A Dracula Story- The Tragic Legacy of Van Helsing’s Sons

Stephen King’s son, Joe Hill (full name: Joseph Hillstrom King), is a horror author just like his father. His most acclaimed short story, The Black Phone, whose sequel, Black Phone 2, is coming in October this year, is one of the eagerly awaited horror films of 2025.

Joe Hill, the best-selling author of Locke & Key and The Black Phone, gives another hypnotic story of Dracula’s sons named Abrahams Boys A Dracula Story whose first official trailer is released. 

Plot details of Abraham’s Boys: A Dracula Story

This coming-of-age story seems to be a unique approach to the decades-old lore of Dracula. A modern take on the gloomy tale from the eyes of Dracula’s sons seems to be an interesting viewpoint. It was originally authored by Hill and first featured in The Many Faces of Van Helsing in 2004. The story is found in the collection 20th Century Ghosts (2005). 

The official synopsis of the film states that Max and Rudy Van Helsing have been living a helpless life under their controlling father, Abraham, oblivious to his dark past. The paranoia and unpredictable behavior have taken over the sons’ lives.

Soon, they realize there is something that their father has been hiding and they cannot escape but accept the terrifying legacy that they were never meant to acquire. We can speculate on an exploration of generational trauma that gives a deep, overarching view of a character-driven narrative. 

Watch the trailer here:

Bosch’s star, Titus Welliver is playing Dracula’s nemesis, Abraham Van Helsing- the strict father. He becomes paranoid that Dracula is coming for their mother, Mina (played by Jocelin Donahue of Doctor Sleep).

Set in 1915, more of the western touches are seen in the trailer. Rather than adopting a dark and gritty strategy in Sinners, where extra use of dark lights overshadowed the characters and even their facial expressions, the family living in an isolated ranch home is exhibited in glaring light. A clear fortification of the vampire lord and his reign. 

Bram Stoker’s novel is set in England and Transylvania, the trailer takes us to the family’s relocation to the United States, as an attempt to dodge their past. A new cultural backdrop will be witnessed as the resettlement of the story to the 20th Century is a clean slate for the legend.  

Director’s vision for the film

Bram Stoker’s classic horror tale is directed by Natasha Kermani (Lucky and Imitation Girl). As per Bloody Disgusting, Kermani is excited to bring Hill’s grim story of Dracula to screens with a fantastic cast and crew. She said, 

“I’m so excited to now be able to share the film with audiences all over the world alongside my friends at RLJE Films and Shudder.” [Source]

Kermani had it clear in her mind that she wanted to portray the long-lasting consequences of a never-ending hunt whose effects the sons of Van Helsing were not ready to witness. 

From Nosferatu’s shadows to Van Helsing’s guilt: The new face of Dracula stories

Good contemporary Dracula stories are on a roll. After Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu, which made $181.3 million gross earnings at the global box office, Abraham’s Boys: A Dracula Story seems promising. The trailer does not show dark and gory visuals. Rather, it is a fresh take on a horrifying creature’s story shown in broad daylight. 

The atmospheric horror in Nosferatu took center stage, which was not only a modern retelling of the classic tale but a gothic character study. Similarly, Abraham’s Boys is more mutinous. It is not about giving jump scares or supernatural goosebumps.

It is more about the psychological aspects of the monsters, who are now shown as metaphors in modern horror movies. Mental health, grief, trauma, and obsessions are some of the themes expected to be discovered in Abraham’s Boys.

The emotional lens in the horror legacy seems to be resonating with the fans quite well lately. Though vampires and Dracula are bloodsucking monsters but they are lonely immortals who could get tired of eternal hunting. Showing Van Helsing as a potentially unreliable or dangerous father, and how it changed him as a protective figure, gives a powerful glance at the traditional monstrous myth.  

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

A post shared by Shudder (@shudder)

When is Abrahams Boys A Dracula Story releasing?

The film is slated to be released in theatres on July 11, 2025, by RLJE Films and Shudder

Genre: Horror

Cast: Titus Welliver, Corteon Moore, Aurora Perrineau, Judah Mackey, Brady Hepner, Jocelin Donahue

Director: Natasha Kermani

Writers: Joe Hill, Natasha Kermani

Producers: Tim Wu, James Howard Herron, James Harris, Leonora Darby, James Herron

Release date: July 11, 2025

Movie runtime: 1 hour 29 minutes 

Are you excited for the film? Let us know in the comments below.  

About Author

Madiha Ali

Madiha Ali loves writing about entertainment and has an experience of more than five years in the said niche. She has previously written for Show Snob, Tea and Banter which were FanSided’s well-known websites, The Irish Insider, etc. Having a keen eye for a specific niche, she likes to write critically and sometimes infuse her personal reflection on how she felt about a show or movie. Apart from this, you can find her watching movies, seasons, reading other entertainment-related articles, and of course, loads and loads of books.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *