Director Chris McKay recently spoke about what makes his Dracula adaptation, Renfield, different from other versions of the story. McKay explained that he decided to lean into the comedy of Renfield's relationship with Nicolas Cage's Dracula when adapting the story.
Universal's Renfield is set to star Nicholas Hoult in the titular role. The character in the original novel was Dracula's lackey and a madman who is drawn to the vampire due to his obsession with drawing the life force out of living things by consuming them. In this new version, Renfield finds a new lease on life when he falls for a cop played by Awkwafina in modern-day New Orleans.
In an interview with Empire, McKay said that the film would be going in a different direction compared to other adaptations. "We’re doing something different. It’s going far away from what you would typically think of a Dracula movie: it’s modern, and it’s through the lens of Dracula as a s***** boss. [It’s] not a straight-up comedy," he said. "There is definitely a tongue-in-cheek premise — what if your boss was literally the boss from hell? — but it’s also got action, it’s got a lot of heart, it’s not without menace."
Renfield revives Dracula for a modern Universal Pictures audience. Bela Lugosi famously starred in the role nearly a century ago for the same studio. In fact, he played the role so iconically that references to his portrayal are still made today.
Given that McKay has a history of comedy films and Awkwafina is starring, it’s no surprise that the film will be a comedy. McKay's comments do indicate that Cage will tread familiar waters as well. As to his comments about the film having “menace,” it’s not yet known whether the film will tread into full-on horror-comedy vibes, but it would be a nice surprise if it did.
Cage is well known for playing over-the-top characters. He’s well aware of his reputation, and hopefully, Cage leans into it when playing Dracula. Hoult is an incredibly accomplished actor in his own right, and his portrayal of Peter in The Great shows he can portray both odious and humorous characters incredibly well. The both of them facing off against one another is a fun prospect, and a campy performance by Cage could be exactly what the movie needs to succeed.
Renfield is scheduled to be released in theaters on April 14, 2023.
Source: Empire via (ScreenRant)