Renfield is the newest try from Common to revive their long-dead Monsters franchise. Having seen Tom Cruise single-handedly kill off the proposed Darkish Universe, the concept of an interconnected world based mostly on the traditional film monster IP appears to have been deserted in favor of some stand-alone modern takes on the best ghouls of the Common vault.
Following the tense and traumatizing model of The Invisible Man in 2020, Common is now unleashing a extra comedic aspect with Renfield. The movie facilities on Nicolas Hoult because the titular put-upon servant of the blood-sucking Depend, who’s now not confined to a psychiatric ward cell however is as a substitute an worker of Dracula who desires of breaking free from his crappy boss. Nicholas Cage performs mentioned boss within the film, and regardless that the actor has confessed that he doesn’t have quite a lot of display time, he can actually make an affect in a crowded Dracula market.
Nicolas Cage Has the Sort of Over-the-High Attraction to Thrive as Dracula
Dracula has been performed many instances as a darkish, brooding character over the past 90 years. Whether or not stalking fortress hallways or preying on folks in a extra trendy setting, solely a handful of films have dared to play with the gothic horror of the unique Bram Stoker novel and its many variations. That is the place Nicolas Cage can are available in and actually work his magic.
Cage has all the time been in a position to carry out with a manic, over-the-top glee that may come to the fore and make his model of Dracula one that’s each humorous, scary, and memorable. Cage’s latest position as a fictional model of himself in The Insufferable Weight of Huge Expertise has as soon as once more reminded folks of how good Cage will be when given the precise ridiculous state of affairs. Renfield might be the proper car for Cage to proceed to showcase his outlandish comedy fashion as his Depend terrorizes his oppressed workforce. In response to David Alpert, CEO of Skybound Leisure, the movie goes to be in contrast to any Dracula film earlier than it, and he beforehand mentioned:
“There’s been 1,000,000 Dracula tales, however I assure you have got by no means seen this tackle Dracula, or the notion that Renfield and Dracula are in a co-dependent relationship and that Dracula’s the last word narcissist. It is a type of issues that after you hear it, you are like, “Ah, after all.” You name anyone a psychic vampire at work. You are like, “Oh, no, no. He’s not solely a psychic vampire, he is the vampire.” You play these dynamics.”
This actually sounds as if the movie can permit Cage to proceed to play his comedy chops off. Nonetheless, for anybody apprehensive that this may occasionally all be about to go the best way of the badly executed Mel Brooks film Dracula: Lifeless and Loving It, which starred Leslie Nielsen, there’s one more reason why Cage cannot solely make this model of Dracula his personal but in addition be certain that it doesn’t find yourself simply one other campy, one-dimensional tackle the Depend.
Renfield’s Dracula Takes Inspiration From The Previous
Nicolas Cage has been doing his homework earlier than taking over the position of Dracula. Though there’s little doubt that the actor might be placing his personal spin on the nuances of the Depend, Cage beforehand cited Christopher Lee as his important level of reference, however he additionally famous that taking part in a personality that has been tailored so many instances is actually a problem. He mentioned:
“The idea of Dracula, in itself, is a problem. It’s been completed so many instances already. It’s been completed very nicely and it’s additionally been completed not very nicely. I actually admire Christopher Lee and Frank Langella and Bela Lugosi and Gary [Oldman]. However I wished to see if I may deliver one thing recent to the character. And I additionally form of all the time knew I needed to do it in some unspecified time in the future.”
Taking inspiration from a few of the traditional Draculas of years passed by and injecting Cage’s private flare is what may set his model of the Depend aside from his predecessors. Cage defined how he wished Dracula to behave as if his vampirism is one thing of an habit and to discover the best way that would drive the character’s means of treating folks. Whereas the context of Renfield alone lends itself to a very completely different tackle Dracula, Cage appears intent on exploring the thoughts and actions of the Depend in a means that has by no means been explored in additional classical Dracula variations.
