The project is being produced alongside Alex Cutler and Darryl Marshak, with the screenplay written by Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski, the duo behind Tim Burton’s Ed Wood, for which Martin Landau won an Oscar for playing Lugosi.

From Hungary to Hollywood

Béla Lugosi was born on 20 October 1882 in Lugos (then Austria-Hungary, now Lugoj, Romania). He developed a passion for theater early, leaving school at 12 after his father’s death and taking on various odd jobs. His first stage appearances were in Temesvár, followed by performances in Debrecen, Szeged, and eventually at Budapest’s National Theater.

During the Hungarian Soviet Republic of 1919, Lugosi was active in the actors’ union but was later forced into exile due to his political views. His wife, Ilona Szmik, followed him only as far as Vienna before returning home.

Lugosi moved between Vienna and Berlin, acting in films before joining a cargo ship as an engineer, which eventually brought him to the United States. He became an American citizen in 1931 and founded the Hungarian National Theater for exiled Hungarian actors.

Rise to Fame

Lugosi’s big break came in 1927, when he played the lead in the Broadway production of Dracula. The play ran for over 500 performances and toured for two years. This success led Universal Studios to cast him in the 1931 film Dracula, which brought him fame but also typecasting. He continued to star in horror films such as White Zombie, considered the first zombie movie, and The Ghost of Frankenstein.

The biopic will explore Lugosi’s rapid rise to stardom and how turning down the role of Frankenstein’s Monster, which went to his rival Boris Karloff, affected his career. While he could never escape the shadow of Dracula, the role ensured his lasting place among Universal’s legendary monsters and in global pop culture.

A New Take on a Hollywood Legend

Alexander and Karaszewski are known for “anti-biopics,” which tell the stories of famous figures in ways that depart from traditional formulas. Their approach suggests the film will offer a fresh and nuanced view of Lugosi, exploring both his talents and the challenges of his career.
 

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