Nicolas Cage and vampires! If those two concepts mashed together sound exciting to you, then you’ll want to keep an ear out for this! The Cage himself is set to play the one and only Dracula in a horror-comedy film titled Renfield, and it’s slated for an April 2023 release!

The film will primarily focus on the titular character played by Nicholas Hoult (X:Men: Dark Phoenix). In the original novel, Renfield grows an obsession with Dracula and begins feasting on animals. He hopes for Dracula to grant him vampiric immortality, but the count himself never grants him his wishes. According to Collider, the film will focus on Renfield deciding to break free of his master and trying to be his own person again. Thanks to a production photo teaser, it was revealed that the film will be set in modern times rather than be a period piece. Joining Cage and Hoult will be Awkwafina (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings), Ben Schwartz (Sonic the Hedgehog), Adrian Martinez (The Blacklist: Redemption), Bess Rouss (2016’s Ghostbusters), Shohreh Agdashloo (The Expanse), and James Moses (Queenpins).

Renfield will be directed by Chris McKay, who has a promising career with the credits, from episodes of the Adult Swim series Moral Orel, to The Lego Batman Movie, to The Tomorrow War. McKay seems to have a good range of both serious and hilarious, which makes this particular setup promising. Credited for writing the film is Ryan Ridley, whose previous credits include Rick and Morty and an episode of Prime Video’s Invincible.

The Long History of The Prince of Darkness

You Don't Say Vampire's Kiss
MGM

Of course, this isn’t the first time we’ve seen Dracula on the silver screen in such a way. Bram Stoker’s gothic story has shown his face countless times in the cinema, all the way back to the silent era with Nosferatu. This also isn’t the first time we’ve seen the famous vampire in a more comedic role, as his most recent incarnation before Renfield is from the hit animated film series Hotel Transylvania, where the vampire is a doting father and grandfather. Dracula has quite the range, so a horror-comedy could prove to be a familiar but fun take on the character.

This also isn’t a new experience for Nicolas Cage as an actor either. Fans of Cage might recall one of his earliest roles involved vampires as well, as he starred in the 1989 comedy-horror Vampire’s Kiss. In the film, Cage plays a young man who falls in love with a vampiress and spends a good amount of the film believing she turned him into one. The film was considered a flop at the time but has since gained a cult following for Cage’s over-the-top performance. It was also the source of the “You Don’t Say?” meme, based on one of the extreme faces Cage makes in the film.

There’s a chance Renfield will be a sort of “turning of the tables” for Cage in the best way. His first vampire film involved him being the crazy bite victim, and in Renfield, he will be playing the opposing vampire instead! Audiences will have to wait and see if that’s what happens, but hopefully, the wait won’t feel too long.