Renfield: Nicholas Hoult sinks his teeth into Dracula spin-off

Last Updated on August 10, 2021

Yes, Master! Word has arrived on a chilled wind that Nicholas Hoult will star in Universal Pictures' Renfield, a monster movie focusing on Dracula's creepy, bug-eating henchman. Chris McKay (The Tomorrow War) is slated to direct from an original story outline penned by The Walking Dead's Robert Kirkman.

Ryan Ridley's script will shed some pale moonlight on Dracula's grotesque follower introduced in the original Dracula novel. 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. While incarcerated, Renfield was known to consume living insects in the hope of obtaining their life force. He believed eating the creepy crawlies would lengthen his own lifespan. He started by eating flies, but before long, upgraded to larger insects and animals. He thought that eating these creatures would eventually grant him immortality.

Details about the film are scarce at this time. However, it's to be believed that the story will take place during the present day. Renfield is one of several monster-related films being developed by Universal at this time. The studio is also working on Wolfman starring Ryan Gosling and a Van Helsing feature with James Wan producing.

What do you all think about Nicholas Hoult taking on the role of Renfield? Was Leigh Whannell's The Invisible Man truly the jumping-off point the studio needs to craft a successful Dark Universe? As someone who adores the classic movie monsters of old, I certainly hope so. Hoult feels like a natural fit to play Renfield, and I hope that Kirkman's script has him doing some stomach-churning things in the new film.