Renfield star Nicolas Cage brings his Dracula to life in a black and white throwback in the newest ad for the film. The film, which is coming to theaters on April 14, was directed by The Lego Batman Movie's Chris McKay with a screenplay written by Rick and Morty's Ryan Ridley, from an original Dracula-inspired idea from The Walking Dead co-creator Robert Kirkman. It follows Nicholas Hoult as Renfield, Dracula's infamous assistant who attempts to divest himself from his evil vampiric master in the modern era.
Universal Pictures has now unveiled a new TV spot for the film ahead of the impending release of Renfield.
The 30-second spot opens on a flashback showing Renfield and Dracula meeting for the first time. Presented in crisp black and white, the sequence hearkens back to the original 1931 Universal monster film Dracula starring Bela Lugosi.
Where Nicolas Cage Fits Into the History of Dracula Performers
Renfield is technically a reimagining of the original 1897 Dracula novel by Bram Stoker. However, it is clearly unafraid to engage directly with the cinematic legacy of the character as well. The 1931 outing is still one of the most iconic horror films of all time, which explains its presence here, but Cage is not only taking the mantle from Lugosi.
Many other performers have played Dracula in the intervening decades. This includes legendary actor Christopher Lee, who took the mantle of the character in the Hammer Films productions that began with the lurid 1958 outing The Horror of Dracula. Gary Oldman also famously took on the role in Francis Ford Coppola's lavish 1992 production Bram Stoker's Dracula.
Cage's performance in Renfield seems to be a synthesis of all the artists who came before him. His stylized performance is pulled straight from the classic choices made by Lugosi and Lee. However, he also brings the modern Gothic sensibility that Oldman provided to the character, providing the perfect bridge between old and new acting styles that the film requires.
Source: Universal Pictures
