Castlevania: Nocturne trailer breakdown - 3 key takeaways

Netflix dropped the new trailer for Clive Bradley's Castlevania: Nocturne on Wednesday, July 28, 2023. The heavily anticipated sequel to the original Castlevania animated series is set to premiere worldwide on Thursday, September 28, 2023.

Set amidst the French Revolution in 1792, the story follows the only surviving descendent of sole Trevor Belmont and his lover Sypha, Richard Belmont. Belmont is tasked by Annette, the Caribbean sorceress, to tackle the Vampire Messiah who threatens to bring the world into forever darkness.

The official synopsis of the upcoming sequel on Netflix reads:

"A vengeful Dracula has trapped Eastern Europe in the shadows of chaos. Only a disgraced hunter and his unlikely allies can end the vampire's reign."

As fans eagerly wait for Netflix's next anime series, Castlevania: Nocturne, the trailer gives fans a glimpse of mysterious castles, enigmatic characters, and the haunting landscape.

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Three key takeaways from Castlevania: Nocturne trailer

1) Castlevania: Nocturne expands the Castlevania universe

The upcoming fantasy horror series is a reason for Castlevania fans to be ready for another action-packed adrenaline-fueled anime. Castlevania: Nocturne marks the return of the prequel's animation studio, Powerhouse Animation Studios. The studio will be back for the animation production under the helm of Sam and Adam Deats' direction.

The story will be set in western France during the French Revolution. The timeline will follow Richard Belmont's life and battle with the Dracula Messiah who aims to eat the sun and bring darkness upon humankind. Richard Belmont is the descendant of Trevor Belmont, Sypha Belnades, and Maria Renard who belong to the vampire hunter clan.

Additionally, fans can expect either a return or a cameo by Richard Armitage and Alejandra Reynoso as they were briefly shown in flashbacks.

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2) Based on the video games by Konami

Following the release of HBO's Last of Us, Netflix's Castlevania: Nocturne is the next series to be based on a video game series. The 1993 Castlevania: Rondo of Blood and its follow-up Symphony of the Night are the two games that inspired this American dark fantasy action series.

Castlevania: Rondo of Blood was developed for PC Engine's Super CD-ROM² System and released as Akumajō Dracula X: Chi no Rondo in Japan on October 29, 1993. Similarly, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night was developed by Konami for PlayStation and Sega Saturn as it was released three and a half years later on March 20, 1997.

The predecessor, Castlevania, ran for four complete seasons following the tales of Trevor Belmont, Sypha, and Alucard. It was based on Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse.

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3) An ensemble voice cast

The trailer for the new spin-off series features an ensemble cast with voice actors including Edward Bluemel as Richter Belmont and Pixie Davies as Maria Renard. It also includes Thuso Mbedu as Annette, Nastassja Kinski as Tera, Sydney James Harcourt as Edouard, and Zahn McClarnon as Olrox. Additionally, it will also see Franka Potente as Erzsebet Báthory and Sophie Skelton as Julia Belmont.

Richard Dormer, Elarica Johnson, and Aaron Neil will also be joining the cast in undisclosed roles through the eight episodes of the first season.