Interview - Abraham’s Boys: A Dracula Story : Let’s talk with Titus Welliver

By Mulder, Los Angeles, 26 june 2025

Abraham’s Boys: A Dracula Story, set for release on July 11, 2025, takes a bold detour from traditional vampire narratives by focusing not on the monstrous Count Dracula, but on the unsettling legacy left behind in his wake. Adapted from Joe Hill’s short story and directed by Natasha Kermani, the film transports us years past Dracula, into the isolated world of an older, disturbed Abraham Van Helsing, now a recluse in rural 1914 America. His two sons, Max and Rudy, are raised under his increasingly erratic, paranoia-fueled roof, caught in a psychological tug-of-war between trust and terror. Rather than indulging in gothic pageantry, Kermani drills into the internal decay of a family marked by secrecy and unspoken trauma. This is horror that simmers—a slow-burn tale of inherited fear, shifting identity, and the consequences of believing in monsters too long.

Backed by Tea Shop Productions and Illium Pictures with distribution from RLJE Films and Shudder, the 89-minute film debuted at the 2025 Overlook Film Festival, earning early praise for its unnerving restraint. The American frontier setting becomes an oppressive presence, where sunlight can’t quite pierce the psychological gloom blanketing the Van Helsing family. Titus Welliver’s portrayal of Abraham adds gravitas and ambiguity, while Brady Hepner and Judah Mackey give life to sons torn between loyalty and survival. Jocelin Donahue as the absent mother Mina and Aurora Perrineau as the mysterious Elsie inject further instability into the crumbling household. Early glimpses via the trailer hint at a dread-driven atmosphere akin to The Witch or The Others, where horror hides in withheld truths and generational scars. This isn’t just a Dracula spin-off—it’s a haunting meditation on what happens when fear becomes your family’s inheritance.

Q: Abraham Van Helsing is often portrayed as a monster hunter, but here he’s a haunted father. What attracted you to this more intimate, fractured portrayal ?

Titus Welliver: Well, I just felt like we've seen so many different iterations of Van Helsing, and every actor has brought a different idea to it. This, to me, was a more subtle version of the character. Also, the story didn’t have all the typical things that you find in these kinds of films. It's not a vampire film — so no running around with stakes and sword fighting and, you know, fighting vampires. It's much more of an unseen threat and more a depiction of a man who is trying to prepare his sons for the inevitable. Part of it is a rite of passage, you know, a rite of passage as a father bringing his children — but the circumstances are very broad because you're dealing with malevolence and evil, or so we think. He certainly believes that, and he's preparing his children.

Q: The film leans heavily into psychological dread. How did you tap into Van Helsing’s trauma without overplaying it ?

Titus Welliver: Well, I think what we all know is the backstory of Van Helsing, you know, and there's a level of kind of — I guess you could say it’s like post-traumatic stress disorder. He's seen so much. He is well-versed; his knowledge of the darkness and the evil of Dracula and the undead. And so, at the same time, a man like that — in my interpretation — I wanted him to be a practitioner of stoicism. So he’s very, very calm in the circumstances. I think within that calmness, it would create a sense of comfort for the people around him. But I think also, part of this film is that we don’t know, as the audience, if this is really happening or if we’re seeing a man who’s descending into madness. 

Q: There's a lingering ambiguity about whether Van Helsing’s fears are justified. How did you approach playing a character that the audience might not fully trust ? 

Titus Welliver: I felt that it was important for the audience to see, in certain moments when he’s interacting with his family, a humanity and a tenderness — but not too much. And I felt that I had to calibrate that very carefully because the audience, due to his stoicism, his stillness, and at times his sternness — they're not really sure how to read him. He’s like sitting in a three-legged chair — it’s a very precarious balance. And that was, for me, something that made this character very interesting to play.

Q: How did you collaborate with Natasha Kermani to find the balance between strength and instability in Van Helsing ?

Titus Welliver: Well, she's very, very collaborative. We had a lot of conversations prior to shooting. We talked about the history of the character, his experiences in life, and where we find him now. So those dialogues happened. Then, a lot of things happened really organically because of the way that I work. Of course, you have the text — you have to know the text, know what you’re doing — that part of it. But Natasha was very open. She gave me a tremendous amount of room to try different things. There was an immediate sense of confidence I had in her as a director — and trust. I think she felt the same way. We found things in some scenes — nuances that weren’t necessarily on the page — and we introduced them. It was a marvelous collaboration. She’s a fantastic, gifted director. 

Titus Welliver, born March 12, 1962 in New Haven, Connecticut, is an American actor celebrated for his brooding intensity and versatile roles across television and film. He rose to prominence portraying the enigmatic Man in Black on Lost, the rugged Silas Adams in Deadwood, and the formidable crime lord Jimmy O’Phelan in Sons of Anarchy. Most notably, he anchors the critically acclaimed Bosch franchise as the titular detective Hieronymus Harry Bosch, a character he reprises in Bosch: Legacy, earning both acclaim and a devoted fanbase . ,A graduate of NYU and HB Studio, Titus Welliver honed his craft steadily—working as a bartender and construction laborer before securing roles in Navy SEALs (1990) and Oliver Stone’s The Doors (1991) . His deep, gritty voice has led him to narrate audiobooks, including works by Michael Connelly and Robert B.  Beyond acting, he inherited his father Neil Welliver’s artistic talent—he paints and is represented by a New York With decades of dynamic performances under his belt, Titus Welliver remains a commanding presence, exploring complex characters both on screen and canvas.

Synopsis :
Abraham van Helsing moves his two sons to the United States in an attempt to escape their past.

Abraham’s Boys: A Dracula Story
Written and directed by Natasha Kermani
Produced by Tim Wu, James Howard Herron, James Harris, Leonora Darby
From the Joe Hill’s original short story
Starring Titus Welliver, Brady Hepner, Judah Mackey, Jocelin Donahue , Aurora Perrineau 
Music by Brittany Allen
Cinematography : Julia Swain
Edited by : Gabriel de Urioste
Production companies : Illium Pictures / Tea Shop Productions
Distributed by RLJE Films, Shudder (United States)
Release date : July 12, 2025 (United States)
Running time : 89 minutes