More than thirty years after starring in Robert Bierman's horror-comedy Vampire's Kiss, Nicolas Cage is set to don the fake fans again, this time as the famous Count himself, Dracula, in the upcoming Universal film Renfield. Directed by Chris McKay (The Lego Batman Movie), Renfield centers on the titular R.M. Renfield, who appears in Bram Stoker's original novel, and will be brought to life onscreen by Nicolas Hoult (The Great).
In speaking to Variety, as part of their Awards Circuit podcast, Cage spoke about the opportunity to play arguably the most famous vampire of all, describing it as "fun and exciting." A self-proclaimed "enormous" fan of Stoker's novel, Cage was in luck when it came time to prepare for his role in McKay's upcoming monster movie. With a plethora of iconic performances of the classic character to choose from, Cage was able to immerse himself in research. "I looked at Bela Lugosi's performance, and then I looked at Frank Langella's performance," he said, citing the 1931 and 1979 films, both titled Dracula.
Despite sharing the title, the two films took different approaches in their story. The former, starring Lugosi, is a more straightforward Universal monster movie. With Renfield being produced by the same studio as Dracula (1931), it's possible that Cage wants to draw parallels between his take and Lugosi's. However, Langella's film was marketed with more of a romantic angle, suggesting that Cage perhaps wants to approach Dracula from as varied an angle as possible. Renfield seems to be taking a different approach to the source material, with Cage noting how excited he is for the humor of the film, comparing it to American Werewolf in London.
The world and characters created by Bram Stoker are nothing new to Nicolas Cage or his family. In 1992, his uncle Francis Ford Coppola—whose brother August Coppola is Cage's father—released Bram Stoker's Dracula, a gothic horror version of the tale starring Gary Oldman in the title role. Coppola's movie is notable not just for its performances and an all-star cast—which also includes Winona Ryder, Anthony Hopkins, and Keanu Reeves—but also for its breathtaking aesthetic.
In his comments to Variety, Cage cited Coppola's film, and Oldman's performance, as part of his research too, saying, "I looked at Gary's performance in uncle's movie, which I think is just so sumptuous. Every frame is a work of art." With such a combination of family history and a steadfast dedication to the preexisting material, it's little wonder that when asked about his feelings on his Renfield experience, Cage simply said, "I can tell you that it's amazing."
Renfield has yet to get a release date, so stay tuned to Collider for more on this project.