Jonathan Bailey is about to get very, very close to your ears.
The Bridgerton and Wicked star is taking on one of literature’s most seductive monsters, lending his voice to Count Dracula in a new immersive Audible adaptation of Bram Stoker’s gothic classic. And if the thought of Jonathan Bailey whispering as a vampire directly into your ears doesn’t already have your attention, we’re not sure what will.
The new Dracula is a full-cast audio production that reimagines Stoker’s 1897 novel as a psychological thriller. Bailey voices Dracula, with Fallout star Ella Purnell as Mina, Aimee Lou Wood as Lucy, Louis Partridge as Jonathan, David Jonsson as Dr Seward, Johnny Flynn as Renfield, Lesley Manville as Mrs Westenra and Maggie Gyllenhaal as Professor Van Helsing.
And this is not simply an audiobook where someone reads the novel aloud. Audible is promising a fully immersive experience, complete with an original score by Ilan Eshkeri and detailed sound design. The production is directed by Mary Lambert, known for the cult horror classic Pet Sematary, making her audiobook directorial debut.
Yes, Jonathan Bailey will be whispering in your ear
Audible certainly knows what it is doing with this one.
Describing the experience, Aurelie de Troyer, Audible’s Head of Content, International, said that “when Dracula whispers in your ear” and you hear his footsteps in the darkness, the story becomes something you experience rather than simply hear.
And honestly, putting Jonathan Bailey in that role feels almost unfair.
The actor has already demonstrated that his voice can do a considerable amount of heavy lifting. Now imagine that voice in the darkness, playing one of the most iconic vampires in literary history.
Exactly.
A darker Dracula
This version also puts a new emphasis on the psychological relationship between Dracula and Mina.
When Mina’s fiancé disappears in Transylvania, she begins piecing together letters, diary entries and testimony to discover what has happened. But as she investigates the mysterious predator stalking the people she loves, she realises that Dracula may already be hunting her.
The production therefore leans into the psychological horror of Stoker’s story, with Mina and Dracula at the centre of the battle.
There is terror, there is obsession, there is a mysterious immortal vampire — and, apparently, there is going to be a lot happening very close to our ears.
Coming just in time for Halloween
Audible’s English-language Dracula will be released exclusively on October 1, 2026, alongside the French, Italian, Castilian Spanish and Latin American Spanish versions. The German adaptation arrives in February 2027, while the Brazilian Portuguese version is planned for later in 2027.
So this Halloween, you could always put on some headphones, turn off the lights and let Jonathan Bailey introduce you to Dracula.
Just don’t blame us if you start wishing the vampire would stay a little longer.
Jonathan Bailey — See Li / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.0.
