Vampires are one of the most iconic monstersin thehorrorgenre. There’s just something alluring about these blood-sucking, undead creatures. Although they’ve been around for millennia, haunting our dreams, vampires were popularized by 19th-century literature, particularly by the 1897 novelDraculaby Bram Stoker. Since then, vampires have evolved from creepy monsters into sexualized anti-heroes, as seen in contemporary tales likeTrue Bloodor theTwilight Saga.
Some of the greatest shows on TV revolve around vampires. And some of these shows, believe it or not, are actually based on movies. Some of these films were tremendous successes that birthed franchises, leading to the creation of a TV series. Other shows pick up where the film left off and continue the storyline. Whatever the case, here are 8 vampire TV shows based on a movie.
8’Hotel Transylvania: The Series' (2017 - 2020)
Hotel Transylvania
Hotel Transylvania: The Series
In 2012’sHotel Transylvania,the infamousCount Dracula (Adam Sandler) runs a hotel where monsters – like mummies, werewolves, and Frankenstein’s monster – are invited to escape and take a break from human civilization. This computer-animated family comedy was a surprise hit at the box office. Its tremendous success launched a franchise, which includes three sequels and a TV series.
Hotel Transylvania: The Seriesserves as a prequel to the original film and centers on Mavis Dracula, the 114-year-old daughter of the Count and one of the main characters from the films. This series is more childish than the 2012 movie, from its storylines to its 2D animation. On top of that, none of the original cast reprised their roles in the show.Hotel Transylvania: The Seriesis a cute show and lasted for 3 seasons, but it pales in comparison to other vampire TV series on this list.
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7’Blade: The Series' (2006)
Blade: The Series
Long before we had the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), before we had Tobey Maguire as Spider-Man or Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, we had Wesley Snipes as Blade. Starting in 1998, Snipes portrayed Marvel’s most iconic vampire hunter, a character who acquires superhuman abilities when his mother is bitten by a vampire during his birth. The firstBladefilm was a hit, receiving praise for its edgy, mature content and for shining the spotlight on a black superhero. Its tremendous success set the stage for future superhero adaptations and produced two sequels – and also a very mediocre TV show.
Blade: The Seriespicks up where the last film, 2004’sBlade: Trinity,left off, continuing Blade’s war against vampires.Blade: The Seriesonly lasted for a single season before its cancellation. Wesley Snipes did not reprise his role for the TV show. Blade was instead portrayed by rapper Sticky Fingaz, which was one of the show’s biggest criticisms. Snipes did reprise his role, though, in 2024’sDeadpool & Wolverine.Blade was supposed to return in a reboot set in the MCU, where he would be played by Mahershala Ali, butthe project has been shelved indefinitely.
6’From Dusk ‘Til Dawn: The Series’ (2014 - 2016)
From Dusk Till Dawn
From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series
1996’sFrom Dusk ‘Til Dawnfollows the Gecko brothers, played by George Clooney and Quentin Tarantino, as they cross into Mexico with a family of hostages. The film takes an unexpected turn, however, when the brothers are forced to defend themselves against an army of vampires.From Dusk ‘Til Dawnis over-the-top and excessively violent. What else would you expect from a film that was written by Quentin Tarantino and directed by Robert Rodriguez? It’s since become a cult classic and has spawned a franchise that includes direct-to-video sequels, a comic book, a video game, and a TV show.
Developed by Robert Rodriguez himself,From Dusk ‘Til Dawn: The Seriesserves as a reimagining of the 1996 film. It follows the same plot as the movie, with the Gecko brothers now portrayed by D. J. Cotrona and Zane Holtz.From Dusk ‘Til Dawn: The Seriesincludes details that Rodriguez was unable to include in the film, such as backstory for the main characters and also for the snakelike vampires that the Gecko brothers battle.From Dusk ‘Til Dawn: The Seriesreceived a fairly warm reception, but it lasted for only 3 seasons before it was quietly cancelled.
5’Vampire Academy’ (2022)
Vampire Academy
Vampire Academyis a series of young adult paranormal romance novels written by Richelle Mead. It follows a teenage vampire who’s training to become a guardian at St. Vladimir’s Academy. It’s basicallyHarry Pottermeets Twilight. With a pitch like that, it was only a matter of time beforeVampire Academysnagged an adaptation.It was first adapted into the 2014 film of the same name, based on the first book. ButVampire Academywas a box office bomb, ruining any plans to develop further sequels. The film’s producer, Preger Entertainment, announced that they’d be launching a fundraising campaign to develop additional movies, but the campaign failed to reach its goal.
With the stake officially driven through its heart, the movie franchise was rebooted into the TV series,Vampire Academy.The show took a different approach than the film. Rather than adapt a particular book in the series,Vampire Academyborrowed elements from all six novels, using them to tell a different story and reimagining certain characters. However, this approach didn’t work too great either. Mix reviews and low viewership led to its cancellation after only a single season.
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4’Shadowhunters’ (2016 - 2019)
The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones
Shadowhunters
The Mortal Instrumentsis a series of young adult fantasy novels written by Cassandra Clare. It follows angelic superhuman beings known as Shadowhunters, who protect humanity from vampires and other dark supernatural forces. It was adapted into the 2013 film,The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones,based on the first book in the series. This was meant to be the first entry in a new movie franchise, but plans to develop further sequels were scrapped due to the film’s poor critical and commercial performance.
Three years later, this cancelled movie franchise was rebooted into the TV series,Shadowhunters.Although it received mixed reviews,Shadowhuntersfared better than its Hollywood counterpart. The series lasted three seasons before declining ratings led to its cancellation. Its network, Freeform, ordered two extra episodes to properly conclude the show, granting fans a sense of closure.
3’What We Do in the Shadows’ (2019 - 2024)
What We Do in the Shadows
What We Do in the Shadows (2014) provides a unique glimpse into the lives of four vampire roommates navigating modern-day Wellington, New Zealand. Their mundane interactions, social challenges, and daily routines unfold in a mockumentary style that blends humor and supernatural elements seamlessly. This film invites viewers to witness the coexistence of centuries-old traditions with contemporary urban life through the eyes of its unconventional protagonists.
What We Do in the Shadowshas an interesting production history. It began as a 2005 short film calledWhat We Do in the Shadows: Interviews with Some Vampires,which was created by Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement when they were still in the infancy of their careers. Almost a decade later, the duo returned to flesh out this project into a feature-length film. The 2014 film,What We Do in the Shadows,is a New Zealand mockumentary that dabbles in comedy and horror. It follows several vampires rooming together in a New Zealand city, including Viago (Waititi) and Clement (Vladislav the Poker).What We Do in the Shadowswas praised for its clever humor and for its unique premise in a market that was oversaturated with vampires.
Clement took the franchise one step further when he developed an American TV series based on his 2014 film. It follows the same premise, though the story is set on Staten Island rather than New Zealand. Despite this change in setting, the TV show shares the same canonical universe as the 2014 movie. Several characters from the film, including Clement’s and Waititi’s, even make cameos. Like the film,What We Do in the Shadowsreceived critical acclaim and earned numerous Emmy Award nominationsthroughout its successful five seasons.
2’Angel’ (1999 - 2004)
Although it’s technically a spin-off of a TV series,Angelwouldn’t exist without the 1992 film,Buffy the Vampire Slayer.Angelcenters on a supporting character fromBuffy the Vampire Slayer,Angel (David Boreanaz), an Irish vampire whose mortal soul was restored to him. Filled with remorse for his prior acts, he seeks to redeem himself by working as a private detective, battling dark supernatural forces and saving the souls of those who have lost their way.
Most spin-off shows fall short of their predecessor, but that wasn’t the case here. LikeBuffy, Angelalso garnered critical acclaim for its dark tone, unique premise, characters, and performances. It’s since been hailed as one of the greatest spin-off TV shows of all time.
1’Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ (1997 - 2003)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Buffy The Vampire Slayer
You had to know this one was coming.Buffy the Vampire Slayerfollows the titular character as she takes on vampires and other dark supernatural forces. Buffy was played by teenage heartthrob Sarah Michelle Gellar, who was Hollywood’s “It” girl during the ’90s. But what many people don’t realize is that this iconic TV series was actually based on a film of the same name.
Released in 1992,Buffy the Vampire Slayerfollows a similar premise as the TV show. Except here, Buffy is played by Kristy Swanson rather than Gellar. The film was written by Joss Whedon. However, he departed the production when he became dissatisfied with the film’s lighter, more comedic direction. This motivated Whedon to create a TV series that would stay true to his vision. And clearly, Whedon knew what he was doing.Buffy the Vampire Slayerhas had a profound impact not just on the horror genre but on TV as an entertainment medium. The show garnered critical acclaim for featuring a strong female lead, for its long story arcs, and for its genre-bending entertainment, all of which inspired other shows to take the same approach.Buffy the Vampire Slayerbecame a pop-culture sensation and one of the most popular TV shows during the late ’90s and early 2000s – so much so that most people don’t even know that the movie exists.
