Video: Explore Dracula Untold’s Real-Life Bran Castle!

Hitting Blu-ray and DVD this week is Universal Pictures’ latest entry in the studio’s enduring “Universal Monsters” franchise, director Gary Shore’s Dracula Untold, starring Luke Evans (The Fast and the Furious 6, The Hobbit). As part of the promotion for the release, ComingSoon.net was invited to travel to Romania for a tour of some of the actual locations involved in life of 15th century Wallachian prince Vlad Tepes, also known as Vlad Dracula and, for his violent conquests, Vlad the Impaler. Throughout the week, we’ll be bringing you videos from our journey, beginning with a look at Bran Castle.

Situated in Romania on the real life border between Transylvania and Wallachia, Bran Castle also occupies space on a less-definable dividing line between fiction and reality. Although the castle itself has few factual connections to either Vlad or Bram Stoker, the location has nevertheless become a cherished part of vampire lore and, in the video player below, you can take a look at the location as it exists today with insight from Evans, castle representative Alexandru Priscu and, via the castle’s own costumed tour guide, even Vlad himself!

Be sure to check back later in the week for our second video, which takes a look at the Romanian town of Targoviste, the center of Vlad’s 15th century rule, and offers some historical insight into what made Vlad a Romanian hero despite the legendary acts of violence that have, even centuries later, been tied to his name. After that, we’re sitting down with Evans himself for a conversation about the new film, the surprises in store on the Blu-ray, and the potential for bringing the actor’s take on Dracula back as the Universal Monsters franchise gets moving again!