Universal Pictures has released the first Renfield trailer, granting a first look at Nicolas Cage as Dracula and Nicholas Hoult as the beleaguered title character seeking group support because of his toxic boss.
Set to be released this spring, the comedy horror from the Universal Monsters brand follows Renfield, Dracula's famous fly-eating helpmate from the classic 1897 novel Bram Stoker's Dracula. Originally pitched by The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman and written by Ryan Ridley (Rick and Morty), the film was directed by Chris McKay (The Tomorrow War, LEGO Batman Movie).
The trailer features Renfield seeking group support from an overreaching boss who has granted him special abilities, which he uses to thwart a violent crime as he struggles to bring innocent victims to Dracula. Mired in an identity and ethical crisis, Renfield struggles to meet his employer’s increasingly bloody demand and mind control. Played in many Dracula adaptations as a comic role, Renfield offers an alternative version in which Renfield is an unwitting accomplice and unhappy employee of the famous monster.
Viewers get glimpses of Cage as an over-the-top comedic Dracula and egomaniac. “In this modern monster tale of Dracula's loyal servant, Nicholas Hoult stars as Renfield, the tortured aide to history’s most narcissistic boss, Dracula (Oscar® winner Nicolas Cage)," reads Universal's synopsis. "Renfield is forced to procure his master’s prey and do his every bidding, no matter how debased. But now, after centuries of servitude, Renfield is ready to see if there’s a life outside the shadow of The Prince of Darkness. If only he can figure out how to end his codependency.”
The comedic take on the classic monster looks promising, with Cage bringing just the right amount of camp and ridiculousness to the role one would expect. While comic renderings of Dracula have cropped up in the past in films like Dracula: Dead and Loving It (1995) or Love at First Bite (1979), this may be the first time audiences have seen him portrayed as a bad boss with a toxic effect on his employee. Renfield is sure to offer plenty of horror, gore, and comedy and will undoubtedly prove to be a fitting modern allegory for toxic workplace cultures.
Renfield arrives in theaters on April 14th, 2023.
Source: Universal Pictures/YouTube