2023 has been another great year for horror thus far. March has seen the return of Ghostface, but Scream’s not the only horror icon having some killer fun this year. In April, Dracula will be making his bloodsucking return in a horror comedy that puts a new spin on Bram Stoker's novel, "Dracula", which featured R. M. Renfield as a supporting character. The horror comedy from director Chris McKay puts all the focus on Dracula’s manservant Renfield played by Nicholas Hoult (The Menu). Now with a month out till the film’s April release, actor Ben Schwartz has given horror fans a new look at his villainous crime boss, Teddy Lobo.
The new images were shared to Schwartz’s Instagram showing a crime boss that looks like a cross between The Joker and Tommy Lee Jones’ Two-Face from Batman Forever. The light magenta suit and cheetah print undershirt really give us a good feeling of what this criminal is all about. He may be very fashionable and materialistic, but Teddy means business duel wielding two pistols as he terrorizes a nightclub. He also appears to be a big fan of masks as his organization are all seen wearing creepy looking werewolf disguises. This is most likely a direct reference to another Universal Monster, The Wolf Man. This werewolf loving gang can be seen in Renfield’s previously released trailer taking over the same nightclub.
While Schwartz is best known for his comedic genius in shows like Parks and Rec, Space Force, Duck Tales, and the Sonic the Hedgehog films, it's going to be exciting to see the actor take on a much darker role. Even though this is a horror comedy, Schwartz has never really gotten the chance to play a full-on villain. Renfield is going hard-R with the blood and gore. Imagining Schwartz in that kind of absurd horror playground is just smile inducing. We really know nothing definitive about his character other than he’s a crime boss, so the skies are the limit in terms of how the crazed Renfield can take on this dangerous threat.
What’s the Plot of Renfield?
Renfield pushes the classic story of Dracula into the modern day with the title character being tired of succumbing to his master's whims. Renfield’s at the end of his rope going to AA meetings which doesn’t make Dracula too happy. The iconic horror side character is on a quest to sever his connection with Dracula for good, but given their morbid history, that’s easier said than done.
This film also features a killer ensemble cast. In addition to Hoult and Schwartz, this 21st century horror story stars Awkwafina and Nicolas Cage (Mandy) as The Prince of Darkness himself. Like Hoult, Cage has made a name for himself in the horror genre recently with modern gems like Mandy, Color Out of Space, and Willy’s Wonderland. However, whoever had the idea of having Cage play Dracula deserves a raise as it's a match made in genre heaven. The trailers have teased a hilariously scary version of Dracula who's just a hungry boy simply looking for his next meal. The toxic relationship at the heart of Renfield appears to be a comedy gold mine with Hoult and Cage’s chemistry being marvelously morbid.
When Does Renfield Release?
Renfield is scaring its way to theaters on April 14, 2023. While horror fans anxiously wait for Dracula’s return to the big screen, you can view Schwartz’s sinister photos down below:
