Following on from the first trailer that dropped back in January, a new look at horror action comedy ‘Renfield’, starring Nicholas Hoult, Nicolas Cage and Awkwafina, is now online.
Taking a key element from Bram Stoker’s original novel ‘Dracula’, ‘Renfield’ puts a new spin on the title character, who in the book is a deranged, fanatically devoted servant and familiar, who works for the vampire in return for a continuous supply of insects to consume and the promise of immortality.
For the new movie, directed by Chris McKay (‘The Lego Batman Movie’) and written by Ryan Ridley (‘Rick And Morty’), the twist is that Renfield is sick of being the servant and sees his master as the ultimate horrible boss.
The idea originated with Robert Kirkman, best known as the creator (and creative overlord) of ‘The Walking Dead’, who knows a thing or two about making horror popular.
Nicolas Cage as Dracula in ‘Renfield,’ directed by Chris McKay. © 2023 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.
Renfield’s story
Hoult plays the title character, Robert Montague Renfield, a man who has spent centuries in servitude to Cage’s narcissistic, powerful Dracula, forced to procure victims on which the vampire can feast.
Now, though, in our modern era, he’s finally had enough, and has decided to bare his soul (or at least as much as he’s able to explain) in a support group for those who feel like they’re in abusive or toxic relationships/work environment.
As Renfield himself says, though, the modern world can be a dangerous place, and when he’s caught up in an armed robbery, we learn something that he got out of his time with Dracula: consuming insects gives Renfield extra strength, speed, and agility, turning him into something more like ‘Blade‘ than his former employer.
When, in the course of taking out the robbers, he saves traffic cop Rebecca Quincy (Awkwafina), Renfield thinks he might have a course to a more normal life. But, of course, there is a Dracula-shaped spanner about to be thrown into the works.
Renfield’s old boss just wants to see him suffer for turning against the dark lord, so of course our hero will have to fight back to save both himself and his new girlfriend.
(L to R) Nicholas Hoult and Awkwafina in ‘Renfield,’ directed by Chris McKay. © 2023 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.
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The new trailer
There is plenty of new footage on offer in the new trailer, which digs into more of Renfield’s history with Dracula (including a funny crack at the Catholic Church which is sure to ruffle some feathers), and more between Hoult and Awkwafina.
We also see actual moments with Ben Schwartz as Teddy Lobo, who appears to be one of the other villains in the movie, and glimpses of Shohreh Aghdashloo as a character named Ella.
But while it’s clearly violent and bloody, the new trailer for US viewers is by no means as violent as the UK example, which can be found here (and is essentially the same, just with 100% more exploding priests and henchman having their arms torn off by our hero).
‘Renfield’ creeps into theaters on April 14th.
(L to R) Nicholas Hoult and Joseph Mikel in ‘Renfield,’ directed by Chris McKay. © 2023 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.
(L to R) Benjamin. Schwartz and Nicholas Hoult in ‘Renfield,’ directed by Chris McKay.
© 2023 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.
Benjamin Shwartz as Henry in ‘Renfield,’ directed by Chris McKay. © 2023 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.
Awkwafina as Rebecca in ‘Renfield,’ directed by Chris McKay. © 2023 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.
(L to R) Nicolas Cage and Shohreh Aghdashloo in ‘Renfield,’ directed by Chris McKay. © 2023 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.
Nicolas Cage as Dracula in ‘Renfield,’ directed by Chris McKay. © 2023 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.
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‘Renfield’ is produced by Universal Pictures, and Skybound Entertainment. It is set to release in theaters on April 14th, 2023.
