Jonathan Harker's employer sends him to eastern Europe to finalize a real estate transaction for a mysterious foreign nobleman, Dracula.  Before long, Harker realizes that he is not a guest, but a prisoner in Dracula's castle - and that his host means to murder him.  Harker barely escapes the castle with his life, and returns home to England, only to find that Dracula has gotten there first, and is already preying on people close to Harker - including his wife, Mina.  Eccentric Dutch scholar Abraham Van Helsing discovers in his research that this Dracula was a Balkan prince renowned for his ruthlessness and cruelty when he was alive - more than 400 years ago. Now, he is a vampire. Armed with this knowledge, the small band of friends tracks down their evil adversary to his London lair, for a final do-or-die confrontation.