Renfield, the “extremely violent comedy” from Universal Pictures and Robert Kirkman, now has a release date. The film, which stars X-Men‘s Nicholas Hoult and Ghost Rider‘s Nicolas Cage, will open April 14, 2023, according to Universal. R.M. Renfield, the asylum inmate who was a servant of Dracula in the original Bram Stoker novel, is getting his own movie, with The Tomorrow War and The LEGO Batman Movie director Chris McKay set up to helm the new film. McKay’s ability to blend action and comedy was reportedly a big reason why he was brought on as director.
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Per what looks like an official synopsis released to The Hollywood Reporter, Renfield is based on “a henchmen for Dracula (played by Cage). The film, which is said to be a modern story with a comedic bent, comes at a turning point for Reinfeld. After centuries of procuring Dracula’s prey and doing his bidding, Reinfeld is ready to move on, if he can only figure out how to end his codependency with his master.”
“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.”
Ben Schwartz will also appear in the film, as a gangster. Little is known about his role. Cage will play Dracula in the film, with Hoult as Renfield and Awkwafina set to star as Rebecca Quincy, who is likely the woman Renfield falls in love with, setting off his desire to leave Dracula behind.
Renfield was played by Dwight Frye in the original 1931 Dracula film, which starred Bela Lugosi as the iconic vampire. The role was then played by Tom Waits in Francis Ford Coppola’s 1992 take on Dracula, appearing opposite Gary Oldman, Winona Ryder, Anthony Hopkins, and Keanu Reeves.
In addition to Renfield, other monster characters getting the film treatment include Wolfman, the Invisible Woman, and Van Helsing. There are two Dracula movies in development, one of which will be directed by Jennifer’s Body and The Invitation filmmaker Karyn Kusama, while the Oscar-winning filmmaker behind Marvel’s The Eternals, Chloe Zhao, will be helming the other.
