With the announcement of a remake of Stephen King's Salem's Lot, audiences and fans of vampires are sure to be in for a treat. Over the years, many vampire books have been adapted into films, some good, some not so good. The books and movies tend to be different and details may be left out that audiences wish were included in a live-action adaptation.
Audiences will always love a new vampire tale. Especially those that may be a new adaptation of their favorite books. But, with different versions of movies, there's always a twist to the newest vampire movie based on an original novel. And viewers may wonder which movies are the best adaptations? Here are what viewers on Ranker decided are the 10 best vampire movies based on books.
Blade II (2002)
When a rare mutation occurs in the vampire community causing the creation of Reapers, Blade is called on for help. Together, Blade and his team must work with an elite group of trained vampires to save both the vampire and human races from the Reapers.
The second movie in the Blade series is also based on Marvel Comics. Wesley Snipes reprises his role and brings the same edginess to the character as in the first movie. And while the movies follow the comics in the basics, there are definitely changes to the film Blade. Blade gets his own original costume in the movies which focus solely on himself and other vampires. There's been no crossover with the wider MCU, although in the comics he turns up in the fight against Thanos, as well as other villains.
Let The Right One In (2008)
Oskar, a young boy, meets a peculiar girl who needs to be invited in, can't stand the sun, and must live off the blood of others. When he befriends her, the bullied boy finds revenge and love with her.
Let The Right One In is based on the novel by John Ajvide Lindqvist. The young actors play powerful roles, ones of loneliness and despair, that make the viewers care more for them than they do for themselves. This is a very serious and grim tale about vampires and a boy who finds someone he relates to. The film for the most part accurately follows the book, opening with the same scene and including some of the more dramatic moments.
Nosferatu (1922)
While a young real estate agent, Hutter, is trapped in the count's castle, Count Orlok travels to Wisbourg, Germany, where the estate is as well as Hutter's wife, Ellen, who feels the darkness as it arrives.
This is the first version of Dracula, based on Bram Stoker's novel, although they were not granted authorization to adapt the book, they changed the character's name as well as the title to Nosferatu. Today this film is regarded as an influential masterpiece of cinema. But since the creators didn't get the rights to the film much was changed. The way Orlok dies was altered as well as his behavior towards guests, unlike the novel's Dracula who befriends Harker, or Hutter in Nosferatu.
Horror Of Dracula (1958)
In the 1958 Dracula, Van Helsing searches for Jonathan Harker, leading him straight to Count Dracula's castle. Dracula plans to go after Harker's fiancée Lucy, but Van Helsing tries to protect her and put an end to Dracula once and for all.
In another adaptation of Bram Stoker's novel, Christopher Lee plays the count in one of his best Dracula movies. Lee does justice to the novel by portraying Dracula the same way that he's portrayed in the book. He's elegant and well-spoken, but still monstrous. This is an interesting watch, that has influenced many Dracula films since, including multiple with Lee in the role of Dracula.
Blade (1998)
A half-mortal, half immortal, wants to avenge the life of his mother. In order to do that, he has to rid the world of vampires, even though he is part of that world. When one vampire wants to evoke an evil vampire god, Blade is in for quite the fight.
The first installment of Blade is based on Marvel Comics. Wesley Snipes was one of many actors considered for Blade. He knew the material of the comics inside and out, and by embodying the character created on the pages of the story, Snipes brings the movie an edge of emotion needed to complete the movie. But even with knowing the comics, the film still changed some aspects, like Blade's vulnerability to sunlight, or who his long-lost father was.
Dracula (1931)
Count Dracula bends a naive real estate agent to his will. Then travels to London where he sleeps in his coffin and prowls the nights for his next victims. He sets his sights on a young woman named Mina, whose health begins to deteriorate as she begins to become one of the undead.
Also based on Bram Stoker's novel, Dracula is an influential Hollywood film. Lugosi's acting as Dracula and the cinematography brought this version of the beloved story to life. And all the Dracula's after the 1931 version, drew inspiration from Lugosi's performance. Lugosi brings the evil in Dracula from the novel to life on screen. Though some scenes were changed, Lugosi as Dracula is a perfect match for the novel.
30 Days Of Night (2007)
In 30 Days Of Night, vampires take advantage of the long dark winters in Barrow, Alaska. There they terrorize the residents and feed on their helplessness. One police officer is determined to stop them, even if it means turning into a vampire himself.
30 Days Of Night is based on a graphic novel by Steve Niles. Like the graphic novel, the film uses a blue color pallet to emphasize the bloodshed throughout the film. The vampires in the film are also dead ringers as the savage blood-drinkers in the book. Josh Hartnett takes the lead in one of his best films as the sheriff and does a good job as the hero trying to protect the band of misfits who have survived.
Salem's Lot (1979)
A novelist returns home to Salem's Lot to write a book about a supposedly haunted mansion. His project soon gets derailed when he finds out someone bought the abandoned property. Things get much worse when the novelist, Mears, discovers a vampire lives there, and he's been making people of the town into undead slaves.
Based on the Stephen King novel, and is one of his best adaptations. Director Tobe Hooper creates a film that brings with it a stately dread as the shocking moments unfold. While the vampire himself is changed into more of a Nosferatu character, the film manages to keep the rich plot points in line with the novel. This is a horror movie that has barely aged and is still a well-done adaptation of the original novel.
Interview With The Vampire (1994)
A vampire decides to tell a reporter in the San Francisco area his life story. Louis, the vampire, has been through a life of loss, love, and companionship that ended in disaster when he goes to France with the vampire child, Claudia after they murder their maker.
This movie is based on Anne Rice's 1976 novel of the same name. While there were some changes to the original plots and descriptions of the characters, overall the story stays the same. Brad Pitt's Louis is a perfect on-screen personification of the character. And this film is considered the best Anne Rice adaptation.
Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992)
A young lawyer, Jonathan Harker gets sent to Count Dracula's castle. While Harker is trapped, Dracula is on the hunt for the lawyer's fiancée, Mina. With the help of Van Helsing, Jonathan tries to save Mina and destroy Dracula.
Based on the 1892 gothic horror novel by Bram Stoker, this version of Dracula brings the characters to life. The entire cast is excellent, but Gary Oldman shines as Dracula. He is menacing, charming, and dangerous like Dracula from the novel. He's able to switch from the old Count to the handsome count easily just like in the book, and viewers won't be disappointed with this accurate adaptation.