Universal's next attempt to make a good Dracula film will feature Nicolas Cage as the monster himself. Was this the right decision?
Nicolas Cage has been cast as Dracula in a new take on the classic novel. But Universal's film will be called Renfield, and will focus on the villains' sidekick.
The New Dracula Movie — Renfield
As the Hollywood Reporter announced earlier today, Nicolas Cage will play the role of Dracula in Universal's upcoming take on the classic novel from Bram Stoker. The deal was finalized today (December 1, 2021), although the film itself we aren't expecting until at least late 2022.
Cage won't be the protagonist of the film, of course, that will be the titular character Renfield. But given his enigmatic style, we're quite certain his performance will take the limelight. By the way, for those of you who might have forgotten, Renfield is Dracula's lackey, who in other versions of Dracula is usually seen lumbering around behind the count. Renfield's “origin story” is described in great detail in the book and will presumably be the focus of this film.
Renfield's Origin Story
Spoiler Alert: Read on at your own risk. The novel may be over a century old, but this will also form the plot of the upcoming movie.
Renfield is a patient at a lunatic asylum in late Victorian London. He's obsessed with eating raw animals, first insects and then rodents and birds. Over the course of the novel, it's revealed that he's merely been under Dracula's influence, and he eventually - in a moment of clarity — tries to fight Dracula. The plot of Renfield will no doubt be much the same as it is in the novel.
Is Nicolas Cage A Good Pick For Dracula?
Nicolas Cage will certainly make the film entertaining, and he can do creepy in a way that'll send shivers down anyone's spine (for reference, watch Face Off), but his casting has lowered our expectations of the film. If you too were hoping for a film that was at once terrifying and yet still able to convey the more subtle themes from Stoker's masterpiece, then those hopes have been dashed. This is going to be a flick. But as we mentioned, it'll undoubtedly be entertaining.
If gothic horror is your thing, then we certainly know what you'll want to be playing in 2022…