Universal Pictures preparing to release Renfield in 2023
After scrapping its concept for the Dark Universe when The Mummy failed in 2017, Universal Pictures decided to make standalone reboots with its back catalogue of legendary horror characters instead. There are plans to go in new directions with them as well, with the concept for Renfield being a highly original one.
Renfield is a horror-comedy focusing on Dracula’s familiar, first introduced in Bram Stoker’s world-famous 1897 novel. Chris McKay is in the director’s chair, with Nicholas Hoult set to star as the title character.
Renfield will be a horror-comedy
Renfield will be a step away from the traditional format of monster movies from Universal Pictures, which tend to be serious and firmly suited to the horror genre. Instead, this offering, based on a story from The Walking Dead co-creator Robert Kirkman, is more of a comedy. It will centre on Renfield’s life in modern-day New Orleans where he falls in love with a traffic cop.
There’s a lot of potential for this to be a strong picture, as there are some excellent cast members set to appear as well. Nicolas Cage will don the cloak of Count Dracula, while Awkwafina will be starring as Renfield’s love interest.
An interesting twist
This is an interesting twist on traditional Dracula adaptations, which usually focus on the vampire himself or his pursuer, Abraham Van Helsing. Renfield has rarely been given much thought by writers, who have usually seen him as a background character.
There’s a good chance that Renfield will attract a lot of interest, thanks to Dracula’s enduring popularity in mainstream culture. There have been so many offerings based on the character over the years, and he is still prevalent in modern entertainment. For instance, there’s the Universal Monsters: Dracula casino game, which is an exclusive title based on the 2014 picture, Dracula Untold. Elsewhere in the gaming market the influence of Dracula is everywhere, with titles like Brides of Dracula and Million Dracula also attracting a lot of interest.
Dracula was a major influence on the vampire genre generally, and inspired other works like Blade, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and True Blood. Many of the tropes that were first introduced by Stoker, such as killing a vampire with a wooden stake, still live on to this day. When people watch a Dracula offering, they know what they are getting. However, Renfield has the chance to shock viewers and give them something completely new and unexpected. Many people who haven’t read the book may not even know about the character, which could give it a brand new feel.
With Universal Pictures opting to explore different strains within its established monsters universe, there is a vast amount of potential for future projects. There are numerous legendary protagonists that could be rebooted, along with secondary characters from those works. If Renfield is a hit, then it could see this franchise splitting off in several new directions. It could even include television series on top of the films.
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