Dracula: Nicolas Cage Reveals Surprising 2021 Movie Inspired His Version of the Vampire

In a matter of weeks, Nic Cage will suit up as Dracula in Renfield, a horror-comedy from the mind of Chris McKay and Robert Kirkman. In preparation, the actor recently revealed he’s watched most portrayals of the villain in live-action, including the iconic moves starring Bela Lugosi and Frank Langella. He even watched his uncle’s (Francis Ford Coppola) version starring Gary Oldman, Keanu Reeves, and Winona Ryder.

As it turns out, however, nothing inspired him more than a fan-favorite horror movie from just last year.

“I want it to pop in a unique way from how we’ve seen it played,” Cage said of his role in a recent chat with Variety. “So I’m thinking to really focus on the movement of the character. You know, I saw Malignant and I thought what she did with those moves — and even Ringu with Sadako [Yamamura] … I want to look at what we can explore with this movement and voice.”

Furthermore, the Ghost Rider star said he’s excited about the comedy aspect of the film, where he’ll star alongside Nicholas Hoult and Ben Schwartz.

“What makes it super fun is that it’s a comedy,” the actor added. “And when you get that tone right — comedy and horror — like American Werewolf in London, it’s a blast. It’s got to be a bulls-eye. But that’s what I’m looking for, something new to bring to the character, and also that perfect tone of comedy and horror.”

Earlier this year, Kirkman revealed a few details about the flick, suggesting it will be a hyper-violent flick. The creator behind comics like The Walking Dead and Invincible wrote the outline for the feature, and the script is currently being written by Ryan Ridley.

“We’re doing this cool movie for Universal that’s a focus on Renfield,” Kirkman said during an appearance on the Fatman Beyond podcast earlier this year. “It’s a story about him being Dracula’s henchman, and how shitty a job that is. It’s a fun, extremely violent comedy because I’ve got a crutch and it’s violence.”

Renfield does not yet have a release date, but it’s expected to come out sometime in 2023.

Cover photo by Phillip Faraone/FilmMagic