Here at Vampires Digest, we keep our eye on a lot of upcoming vampire movies (there’s at least fourteen of them now, counting a just-announced Twilight spoof), but you and I know most of them are bound to suck (and not in a good way.) Lucky for you, we went through the pile, and came up with a top five, with bonus points given for source material, originality, and the creative team attached to the project:

Dark Shadows (2011): Adaptation of the classic vampire TV series starring Johnny Depp, directed by Tim Burton. All the elements work so perfectly together, the movie hasn’t even been shot yet but it’s already awesome in my head.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (2011): Still more perfection: Tim Burton produces. Timur Bekmambetov (Wanted, Night Watch) directs. And the Great Emancipator does what he does best: KICK EVIL’S ASS!

Let Me In (October 2010): We had a big debate at Vampires Digest headquarters about including this movie. On the one hand, the excellent Swedish movie it’s based on was totally disturbing and dark — but the director of this Hollywood remake called it a “Beautiful coming-of-age story”. (To which we say, WTF?) On the other hand, that director is Matt Reeves, who also made Cloverfield, which was good and also fairly dark for what it was, so we say give him a chance. At the very least, it’ll create a bigger audience for the original. Casting bonus: The vampire’s played by Chloë Moretz, acclaimed as the potty-mouthed little gunslinger in Kick-Ass. (Doesn’t this kid want to be in at least one movie with, like, puppies and hugs and stuff?)

Blood Oath (2011): Oh, you already miss Jack Bauer too? How about another secret service/counter-terrorist badass working for the President, only this one’s upgraded to vampire class? OK, you got it! Based on a novel of the same name, from the producer of Mr. and Mrs. Smith.

Dracula Year Zero (2011): The fantasy-action flavored story of Vlad the Impaler, the real life inspiration for the Dracula we all know and love, it will probably star Avatar’s Sam Worthington. Alex Proyas (The Crow, Dark City) is committed to direct, so expect Vlad’s exploits to look super stylish and slow-mo.

So that’s our top five, subject to change as news develops. What upcoming vampire movies are on top of your must-see list?

Top image credit: Movie poster of Sweeney Todd, from Warner Brothers/Dreamworks.