Nicholas Hoult joins the cast of Universal Pictures’ upcoming monster movie Renfield in the title role. In a story from The Walking Dead’s Robert Kirkman, Renfield will focus on R. M. Renfield, Dracula’s henchman. The character was first introduced in Bram Stoker’s classic 1897 Gothic horror novel, Dracula, and has been portrayed by actors such as Mark Gatiss, Peter MacNicol, and Dwight Frye.
Now, Deadline reports that Nicholas Hoult will step into the role of the eponymous Renfield in Universal’s film. Hoult, who is well known for playing Hank McCoy (a.k.a. Beast) in the X-Men franchise, is a versatile actor whose impressive career has ranged from theater to television to film. In 2020, he earned multiple accolades for his portrayal of Emperor Peter III in Hulu’s satirical comedy-drama series, The Great, including a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Television Musical or Comedy. The Great recently completed filming for season 2.
No other casting announcements have been made for Renfield so far. Renfield will be directed by Chris McKay (The Tomorrow War), who replaced Dexter Fletcher (Rocketman) in the role. The script was written by Ryan Ridley (Rick and Morty), based on Kirkman’s pitch. Skybound Entertainment’s Kirkman, David Alpert, Bryan Furst, and Sean Furst will produce. Renfield is intended to be lighter in tone than other recent Universal monster movies, such as 2020’s The Invisible Man. Specific plot details are sparse, but Kirkman has revealed that Renfield will be "a fun, extremely violent comedy" about Renfield realizing he no longer wants to be Dracula's henchman. Benefitting from the combined talents of everyone involved, Renfield will no doubt be a welcome addition to Universal’s Dark Universe.
Source: Deadline