Two iconic Nic(h)olases are uniting on screen in less than a month. Nicholas Hoult and Nicolas Cage are starring in “Renfield,” a comedic take on the Dracula mythos, and Universal Pictures has released the final trailer for the upcoming horror comedy.
Set to Radiohead’s early ’90s grunge hit “Creep,” a classic anthem for social rejects, the trailer begins in the time of Bran Stoker’s original “Dracula” novel, recounting Renfield’s (Hoult) first encounter with the devious Count (Cage). It then flash-forwards a hundred years later, with the familiar now the hapless lackey of the vampire, forced to find new humans to feed him and quench his thirst for blood.
More from IndieWire
‘Cat Person’ Review: The Viral Story Gets an Appropriately Excruciating Adaptation
Read ‘The Menu’ Script Here to Dissect the Delicious Wordplay in Mark Mylod’s Dark Comedy
But all that changes when Renfield saves a New Orleans bar from a shooting, and meets traffic cop Rebecca, who he quickly falls head-over-heels for. When he confesses his unusual occupation to his new love interest, she encourages him to find the strength to break free from Dracula’s abusive hold. But Dracula won’t let go of a servant without a fight, and Renfield and Rebecca end up on a quest to defeat the Prince of Darkness before another evil scheme takes root.
Aside from Cage, Hoult, and Awkwafina, the film’s cast includes Ben Schwartz, Adrian Martinez, and Brandon Scott Jones. “Renfield” is directed by Chris McKay, best known for directing “The Lego Batman Movie” and “The Tomorrow War.” The film’s script was written by Ryan Ridley, who based it off an original idea from Robert Kirkman, creator of “The Walking Dead” and “Invincible.”
Cage has compared his take on Dracula, one of the most portrayed film characters of all time, to Andy Warhol, telling Empire Magazine that “When I got a sense of where [director] McKay wanted to go, I realized the movie has a comedic, pop art attitude. So I thought: ‘This will be a pop-art Dracula.’ Warhol did a great black-on-black Dracula. This is in that Warhol vein.”
Story continues
Kirkman produces with David Alpert through his Skybound Entertainment production company, along with co-presidents Bryan Furst and Sean Furst. McKay also produces with his producing partner Samantha Nisenboim. Todd Lewis executive produces. The film is a production of Skybound and Giant Wildcat.
“Renfield” will transform into a bat and fly into theaters April 14. Watch the full final trailer for the film below.
Best of IndieWire
Martin Scorsese’s Favorite Movies: 58 Films the Director Wants You to See
The 22 Best Nude Scenes in Film, from ‘Shortbus’ to ‘Blue Velvet’
The Best 36 LGBTQ Movies and TV Shows Streaming on Netflix Right Now
Sign up for Indiewire’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Click here to read the full article.