Renfield: Ben Schwartz joins Nicolas Cage Dracula movie

Universal Pictures’ “modern day adventure story” take on Dracula’s henchman Renfield (with Nicholas Hoult playing the title character and Nicolas Cage as Dracula) is scheduled to begin filming in New Orleans early next year, and with the start of production drawing near the project has just landed another cast member. Variety reports that Emmy winning comedian and actor Ben Schwartz, who was recently seen in Standing Up, Falling Down and provided the voice of Sonic the Hedgehog in the 2019 film, has been cast in Renfield. Details on his character were not revealed.

Based on a treatment written by The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman, Renfield will be directed by Chris McKay (The Tomorrow War) from a screenplay by Ryan Ridley (Rick and Morty). In Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula, 

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. Plot details of the movie weren’t announced, but it’s believed to take place during the present day and is not a period piece.

Kirkman has said Renfield is “a story about him being Dracula’s henchman and how shitty a job that is.” While Universal is developing several monster projects, Deadline previously reported that they’re excited about Renfield because the story’s “mix of humor and action was something the studio was looking for because so many of the other properties have more of a horror element to them.” 

Also in the cast with Hoult, Cage, and Schwartz is Awkwafina. Details on her character are being kept under wraps as well.

Renfield is being produced by Skybound Entertainment’s film team, including Kirkman, David Alpert, Bryan Furst, and Sean Furst. Samantha Nisenboim serves as executive producer.

Schwartz is a cool addition to the cast and I’m hyped to watch Cage play Dracula, so I’m looking forward to seeing how Renfield turns out.