Carol Abney joins retro Hollywood horror film Los Vampires

Carol Abney appears as Sister Aubrey in Los Vampires, a 1930s-set horror thriller premiering July 21 at the Fantasia Film Festival. The film draws inspiration from the overnight Spanish-language production of Dracula and centers on rival vampire-movie shoots, a mystery, and escalating murders on a Hollywood soundstage.

Why it matters: - Los Vampires adds Carol Abney to a period horror story built around one of Hollywood’s most famous production legends: the Spanish-language Dracula shot on the same sets overnight after the English-language version. - The Fantasia Film Festival world premiere gives the film an early launch in front of genre audiences. - Abney’s role extends a career that has included television, features, stage work, and choreography.

What happened: - Carol Abney plays Sister Aubrey in Los Vampires. - Henry Ian Cusick and Thomas Kretschmann co-star in the film. - The world premiere is set for July 21, 2026, at the Fantasia Film Festival. - The film is written and directed by Craig Mitchell. - The movie is set in 1930s Hollywood. - The story follows a Spanish actor cast in an overnight vampire-film production while an English-speaking star films the same role by day. - The two performers develop a rivalry as mysterious murders begin on and around the soundstage.

The details: - Sister Aubrey is a nun assigned as chaperone to a young woman brought from a rural Mexican orphanage to play the ingénue in the Spanish-language production. - As unexplained deaths surround the production, Sister Aubrey becomes increasingly involved in the mystery behind the scenes. - Los Vampires is a fictionalized account inspired by the making of George Melford’s 1931 Spanish-language Dracula. - Melford’s version was filmed overnight on the same sets used for the English-language production. - Abney said most of her scenes were with Henry Ian Cusick and described him as “extremely generous and sensitive” and “constantly curious and exploring.” - Abney’s TV credits include Matlock, 9-1-1: Lone Star, Parenthood, Modern Family, Big Love and ER. - Her film credits include Songbird, The Genius Club and Forgotten. - Abney’s stage and creative work includes performance, dance, choreography, producing, photography and audiobook narration. - She received the KPBS Patte Award for Outstanding Performance for Unmerciful Good Fortune. - Her choreography for The Fever was listed among the San Diego Union-Tribune’s Top 10 Shows of 1999. - Abney was born in Lima, Peru, and raised in San Diego. - She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre from the University of California, San Diego. - She later earned a Master of Arts in Dance at the Rotterdam Dance Academy after studying in Sweden and the Netherlands. - Fans can follow Abney on Instagram at Carol Abney on Instagram.

Between the lines: - The film’s premise turns a little-known piece of film history into a suspense plot, which gives Los Vampires a built-in hook for classic horror fans. - Abney’s character appears positioned as a moral and emotional witness inside the production, not just a side player. - The mix of established TV and film names signals an ensemble designed to bridge genre appeal and familiar faces.

What's next: - Los Vampires will debut at Fantasia on July 21, 2026. - The premiere should introduce the film to festival audiences before any wider release plans become clear. - Abney is likely to use the festival run to spotlight the role and her broader body of work.