The Blood Countess (Die Blutgräfin)

The Blood Countess (German: Die Blutgräfin) is a 2026 vampire comedy directed by Ulrike Ottinger. A co-production of Germany, Austria and Luxembourg, it combines horror with comedy. Loosely inspired by the legend that grew up around the Hungarian countess Elizabeth Báthory (1560–1614), it brings Báthory to the screen as a vampire.

Báthory is played by the French actress Isabelle Huppert. Birgit Minichmayr, Thomas Schubert, Lars Eidinger and André Jung appear alongside her, and Tilda Swinton, Udo Kier, Irm Hermann and Eric de Kuyper are also named in the cast. Ottinger wrote the screenplay with the author Elfriede Jelinek. The film is made in English and German.

The film had its world premiere on 16 February 2026 in the Berlinale Special Gala section of the 76th Berlin International Film Festival.