If you were to ask yourself, who could possibly play the role of Count Dracula's loyal henchman; it seems almost natural that our beloved Nicholas Hoult should come to mind. Truthfully, there's not much this man can't do – and after falling in love with him (again) as a manic, but endearing Peter III of Russia in The Great, we know that he's capable of bringing just the right amount of crazy to any role. So, it should come as no surprise then, that Hoult has been cast in the leading role for the upcoming film, Renfield.
For those who need a refresher on Bram Stoker’s original 1897 horror novel Dracula, the character R.M Renfield was an inmate at a lunatic asylum; who was thought to be suffering from delusions but actually is a servant of Dracula. I mean, if someone came in with a penchant for eating live creatures with the hope of immortality, my first though probably wouldn't be 'possessed by a vampire'. Talk about a plot twist, am I right?
As is the case with most film projects these days, the details of the plot for Renfield are still being kept heavily under wraps. What we do know with certainty is that this Vampire-adjacent tale will be taking place in the present day; so, I guess Hoult's character can't be anymore chaotic than the calibre of men we're already dealing with. Minus the vampire situation, of course.
This isn't the first time Dracula's loyal subordinate has been portrayed on screen, though it is Renfield's first opportunity to take centre stage. The character was first portrayed by Dwight Frye in the 1931 Dracula film; later again by Tom Waits in Francis Ford Coppola’s 1992 version; and finally by Roland Topor in Werner Herzog’s 1979 movie Nosferatu the Vampyre.
With Nicholas Hoult at the helm, we already know that Renfield won't be one to miss. Plus, it's about time Hollywood gave us another hot vampire film to faun over.
Stay tuned for more details on Nicholas Hoult and his latest role in Renfield.
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