Inspired by the novel Dracula by Bram Stoker, it follows a woman who, after her mother's death, meets long-lost family members and discovers the dark secrets they carry.

[1] Originally titled The Bride, it was produced by Emile Gladstone through his Latchkey Productions, Sam Raimi and Robert Tapert's Ghost House Pictures, with Butler writing the script.

In present-day New York City, struggling artist Evelyn "Evie" Jackson makes a living freelancing for a catering business with her best friend Grace.

Evie takes a DNA test after her mother's death, discovering she has a distant cousin in England named Oliver Alexander.

She arrives in Whitby at the New Carfax Abbey, where she meets the lord of the manor, Walter De Ville, Mrs.

Evie also meets the rest of the Alexander family and the maids of honor, friendly Lucy and condescending Viktoria.

Walter explains that Evie's ancestors, the Alexanders, are one of the three families who, for centuries, have each offered one of their women to become his wife in exchange for protection and wealth.

Viktoria admits that she was the apparition that Evie had seen, and reveals Dee, an imprisoned maid, who disappeared days earlier.

As they finish exchanging vows, Evie bites De Ville's arm, consuming his blood, and instantly transforms into a vampire.

In April 2019, Screen Gems acquired an untitled pitch from Blair Butler, who was also attached to write the screenplay.

[2][3] In June 2020, it was revealed that the film would be titled The Bride and that Jessica M. Thompson was set to direct, with Gladstone producing without Raimi and Tapert.

[3] The original script was written by Butler, who drew inspiration from Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula, with revisions by Thompson.

The website's consensus reads: "Despite a very likable lead and a refreshingly light touch, The Invitation is ultimately too predictable to thrill as either a romance or a horror story.

[19] Natalia Winkelman of The New York Times wrote: "For a fright-fest as broad as this one, there's an awful lot of banal dialogue, and the scare patterns are repetitive enough that even the easiest startlers (I count myself among them) grow immune early on.

"[25] Joe Leydon of Variety wrote in his review: "Despite some ambitious efforts to revitalize hoary horror movie tropes with allegorical commentary on race, class and male privilege, [the film] is too wearyingly hackneyed for too much of its running time.