A classic horror character is getting the modern reboot treatment. Renfield, a new movie based on Count Dracula’s devoted servant, is set to hit theaters next spring. The character of Renfield dates back to Bram Stoker’s original Dracula novel from 1897, where the titular assistant serves Dracula in his plan to turn others into vampires.
The character has since appeared on screen for over a century, from 1922’s Nosferatu and 1931’s Dracula all the way up to more modern works like Francis Ford Coppola’s 1992 Dracula and the Penny Dreadful series. Here, we can expect a more contemporary version of Renfield as he takes on the modern world.
The Tomorrow War’s Chris McKay is stepping into the director’s chair, while Ryan Ridley is penning the screenplay. Ridley’s script is based on a story by The Walking Dead comic author Robert Kirkman. Skybound Entertainment will produce, and Universal Pictures will distribute the film.
So, what can we expect from the new Renfield film? How will it present a fresh take on the classic horror villain sidekick? Who can we see in the cast? When and where will the film be released? And what else should audiences know about Universal’s Renfield?
Renfield: The Plot
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While specific details are light, we do have a general synopsis:
“The film centers on Renfield, who has grown sick and tired of his centuries as Dracula’s lackey. The henchman finds a new lease on life and maybe even redemption when he falls for feisty, perennially angry traffic cop Rebecca Quincy.”
In the original 1897 novel, Renfield is a patient in a mental asylum who eats insects and rats to absorb their life forces and gain immortality. Dracula promises him immortality if he helps the vampire master do his bidding. The film will explore how that agreement devolved into a toxic, co-dependent relationship over the centuries. It will approach these themes through a comedic lens, reportedly inspired in part by Taika Waititi’s vampire mockumentary What We Do in the Shadows.
While Renfield has appeared on screen in more than 20 different adaptations since the original novel, this is likely one of the first where he fights back on his position in life. Renfield is ready to stop being the sidekick and take down Dracula with the help of new ally Rebecca Quincy. The story is set in the current day; it is not a period piece like earlier adaptions.
As with What We Do in the Shadows and other contemporary works like Reginald the Vampire, Renfield takes century-old existing vampire tropes and modernizes them for a new audience. If successful, we will likely see more contemporary twists on classic villains. All we can do is wait until more information is released to see if the new take lives up to the hype.
Renfield: The Cast
Universal has a big-name cast lined up for the vampire flick. Those Who Wish Me Dead star Nicholas Hoult has been tapped as the long-suffering titular henchman Renfield. The role of Count Dracula will be filled by another iconic “Nicolas,” The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent star Nicolas Cage.
Nic Cage fans should immediately recognize this is not Cage’s first go at a vampire flick. Flashbacks are likely coming to mind of 1988’s Vampire’s Kiss, a campy masterpiece far better known for the infamous “You Don't Say” meme than anything plot-related.
Renfield’s new ally (and potential love interest), Rebecca Quincy, is played by Awkwafina. Parks and Recreation’s Ben Schwartz is set for the role of mobster Teddy Lobo. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty’s Adrian Martinez is playing Chris Marcos, a traffic cop and partner of Awkwafina’s Rebecca Quincy.
The Expanse actor Shohreh Aghdashloo is Ella, one of the city’s most feared crime bosses. Bess Rous of Murder in the First is Caitlyn, a member of a support group for people in toxic relationships who will likely assist Renfield with understanding his own relationship. Snowfall’s James Moses Black plays Captain Browning, who may have some role on the police force, and actor Caroline Williams is a character named Vanessa. Breakout Ghosts star Brandon Scott Jones is also joining the cast, though there’s no information yet on his character.
We can expect additional casting information in the coming weeks and months.
Release Date
Renfield is set to be released by Universal Pictures in the United States on April 14, 2023.
Everything Else: What We Know
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The film was initially set to be a part of Universal’s “Dark Universe,” a shared universe of horror films based on classic monsters such as Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy, Wolf Man, etc. 2014’s Dracula Untold was developed as the first film in the shared universe and a reboot of the Dracula film franchise.
However, Universal moved Dracula Untold away from the franchise, and 2017’s The Mummy reboot with Tom Cruise was positioned as the inaugural Dark Universe film. The critical and commercial failure of The Mummy led Universal to abandon Dark Universe altogether and focus on films with individualized stories.