Vampirella (film)
A vampire from Drákulon seeks revenge on Earth.
Vampirella is a 1996 American superhero film produced as part of the Roger Corman Presents series, based on the comic book character of the same name.
On the distant planet Drákulon, a civilized vampire society thrives on synthetic blood that flows through its rivers. This harmony is shattered when the rebel vampire Vlad Tepish, who prefers drinking real blood, murders the entire Council of Elders—including the father of a young vampire named Ella—and flees to Earth to create a new vampire race. Seeking revenge, Ella follows him. During her journey, she is forced to stop on Mars, where she falls into a deep sleep. She is later discovered by astronauts and brought to Earth.
Once on Earth, Ella—now calling herself Vampirella—tracks Vlad to Las Vegas, where he poses as a singer named Jamie Blood. She crosses paths with a special police unit that captures extraterrestrial threats. Initially focused on revenge, Vampirella eventually allies with the unit to stop Vlad and his followers from turning humanity into a vampire horde, even though doing so forces her to break her own rule against drinking blood.
The cast includes Talisa Soto as Vampirella/Ella, Roger Daltrey as Vlad Tepish/Jamie Blood, Richard Joseph Paul as Adam Van Helsing, Lee de Broux as Lieutenant Walsh, Robert Clotworthy as Professor Steinman, Brian Bloom as Demos, Corinna Harney as Sallah, Rusty Meyers as Quinn, Tom Deters as Traxx, Angus Scrimm as High Elder, Tyde Kierney as Conrad Van Helsing, David B. Katz as Forry Ackerman, John Landis as Astronaut #1, John Terlesky as Astronaut #2, and uncredited appearances by Forrest J Ackerman, Gary Gerani, and Jim Wynorski.
The idea for a Vampirella film first emerged in the early 1970s when James Warren pitched it to Hammer Films, inspired by *Barbarella*. Hammer’s Michael Carreras was enthusiastic, and the studio planned a 1976 release. Actresses including Caroline Munro and Valerie Leon auditioned, and Barbara Leigh was cast after a producer exclaimed, “That’s her, we’ve found her at last!” Peter Cushing was set to play Pendragon, with Orson Welles and Donald Pleasence in other roles. Carreras later claimed the film fell through because Warren refused to give up merchandising rights, though Hammer was already in financial trouble and filed for bankruptcy soon after. In 2019, Munro and fellow Hammer actress Judy Matheson participated in a stage readi
- Release Year
- 1996
- Country
- United States
- Genre
- Superhero film
- Based On
- Vampirella comic book
- Director
- Jim Wynorski (implied by production details)
- Lead Actress
- Talisa Soto
- Production Series
- Roger Corman Presents
Quick Facts
- Director
- Jim Wynorski
- Producer
- Paul Hertzberg / Jim Wynorski / Angela Baynes
- Writer
- Gary Gerani
- Based On
- Vampirella · Forrest J. Ackerman
- Starring
- Talisa Soto / Roger Daltrey / Brian Bloom
- Music
- Joel Goldsmith
- Cinematography
- Andrea Rossotto
- Editing
- Richard Gentner
- Studio
- CineTel Films / Concorde Pictures / Sunset Films International
- Distributor
- Concorde Pictures
- Released
- 1996 · 09 · 28
- Runtime
- 82 minutes
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The film's plot begins 300 years ago on the distant planet Drákulon, where a civilized vampire society drinks synthetic blood. The harmony is broken when Vlad Tepish, a rebel vampire who prefers traditional blood-sucking, murders the Council of Elders and flees to Earth. Ella, whose father was among the murdered elders, follows him to Earth for revenge. During her journey, she is forced to stay on Mars in a deep lethargy until astronauts find her and bring her to Earth. She arrives in Las Vegas, where Vlad now poses as singer Jamie Blood. Ella, now calling herself Vampirella, initially pursues revenge but later allies with a special police unit that traps extraterrestrial beings. She fights Vlad and his vampires to save humanity, even though it violates her principles of not drinking blood.
Reader's Guide
The film is significant as part of the Roger Corman Presents series, a television anthology that produced low-budget genre films. It represents an attempt to adapt the Vampirella comic book character, which had been dormant until Harris Comics revived it with a new comic series and trading cards. The production had a troubled history, including earlier attempts by Hammer Films in the 1970s that were never realized. Director Jim Wynorski later called the film 'a mess' and expressed dissatisfaction with the casting of Talisa Soto, who he felt was not suited for the role. Despite these issues, the film remains a notable entry in the history of comic book adaptations, particularly for its connection to the cult character Vampirella. The film also features Roger Daltrey of The Who as Vlad Tepish, who composed the song 'Bleed for Me' for the movie.
Did You Know?
- Roger Daltrey composed the song 'Bleed for Me' featured in the film.
- The film was intended as a backdoor pilot for a potential Vampirella TV series.
- Actresses Bo Derek, Tia Carrere, and Julie Strain were considered for the role of Vampirella before Talisa Soto was cast.
- Director Jim Wynorski called the film 'a mess' and said he cannot watch it.
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