10 Franchises That Made It To Episode 7 Before Star Wars

5. Dracula

What's the story?

In British horror house Hammer's low budget take on the classic vampire story, Peter Cushing's Dr Van Helsing follows a disappeared friend to Transylvania and battles Christopher Lee's Dracula, followed by a bunch of less exciting vamps in the sequel. The count returns, albeit with significantly less dialogue, and is sent back to the grave only to rise again in a succession of similar follow-ups.

What's in Part 7?

Unsurprisingly set a century after the early films in the series, Dracula A.D. 1972 sees Cushing as Van Helsing's virtually identical descendant realising that 70s hippy Johnny Alucard must be a disciple of the dark one, given what his name is when spelled backwards. That doesn't stop Alucard from dragging his backwards namesake back from the dead and into the modern era for a battle with another Van Helsing.

How does it compare to the previous six?

Mostly negatively received on release, time has been kind to this 70s oddity, with the likes of Kim Newman now claiming it as a particular favourite. If nothing else, the modern setting gives some fresh ideas to the series and it features both Cushing and Lee for the first time since the 1950s original.

Did it go beyond seven?

The undead count tried to keep rolling with the trends of the day with the more spy-fi style Satanic Rites Of Dracula, Lee's last time in his signature role, and the kung fu themed Shaw Brothers co-production The Legend Of The Seven Golden Vampires. 

Although the studio has been resurrected just like their most famous character, Hammer have declared no interest in returning to Dracula in the future.