Nicolas Cage Blood-Drenched Streaming Comedy Will Make You Laugh And Scream
If you’ve always wanted to see Nicolas Cage play Count Dracula in a blood-drenched R-rated comedy, then now you can. Renfield, which was released in theaters earlier this year, is now streaming on Peacock. Prepare to laugh and scream at all the jokes, fight scenes, and Nic Cage’s demonic fangs.
Instantly meme-able thanks to Nicolas Cage as Dracula, Renfield hit theaters earlier this year and is already available to stream on Peacock.
The new film is a modern take on the Universal Classic Monster Count Dracula and his loyal servant Renfield. In the action-comedy, Renfield (played by Nicholas Holt) is desperate to get away from the Count (played by Nicolas Cage) after spending 90 years doing his bidding. After seeking guidance from a self-help group, he attempts to start his own life, but his past (and Dracula) have a way of catching up with him.
Renfield offers a new, comedic take on the tale of Count Dracula, one that has been told over and over again ever since Bram Stoker wrote the original story back in 1897. The idea of Renfield came from Robert Kirkman, a comic book writer, and screenwriter who is known for co-creating The Walking Dead and Fear the Walking Dead. After pitching the idea to Universal and Skybound Entertainment, they accepted it and then brought on Ryan Ridley (Rick & Morty) to write the screenplay.
Originally, Dexter Fletcher was supposed to direct Renfield, but Chris McKay ended up taking over the project in April 2021. McKay described the film as a “quasi-sequel” to the 1931 Dracula, which explains the black and white opening sequence where Nicolas Cage and Nicholas Holt recreate scenes from the classic film.
Throughout the rest of the movie, Mckay focused on mixing intense action scenes with a comedic style that’s similar to Taika Waititi’s hilarious TV series and movie What We Do in the Shadows.
Nicolas Cage wanted his Dracula in Renfield to be a blend of horror and comedy, drawing positive comparasions to the hit series What We Do in the Shadows.
Nicolas Cage, who is a huge fan of Dracula, came on board to fulfill his lifelong dream of playing the classic vampire. Since the role of Dracula has already been done in so many different ways, he wanted to bring his own unique style to it by focusing on bringing comedy and horror into the role. He reportedly watched An American Werewolf in London, Ring, and Malignant to inspire his character.
In addition to Nicolas Cage and Nicholas Holt, the rest of the cast includes several other entertaining characters. American actor, rapper, and comedian Awkwafina plays Rebecca, a traffic cop who gets caught up trying to help Renfield escape the clutches of Dracula. Academy Award nominee Shohreh Aghdashloo plays mob boss Bellafrancesca Lobo, and her son/mob enforcer Tedward Lobo is played by Parks and Recreation’s Ben Schwartz.
Renfield is a Universal Pictures movie that tried to bring some of the Universal Classic Monsters back from the dead after Dracula Untold (2014) and The Mummy (2017) failed to do so. Even though the film was a box office flop, there are still plans for other Monsters to return to the big screen. The Scream reboot team Radio Silence will direct the rumored film Dracula’s Daughter while Maggie Gyllenhaal is set to direct Bride of Frankenstein which will star Christian Bale.
Nicolas Cage, who is a huge fan of Dracula, came on board to fulfill his lifelong dream of playing the classic vampire.
The Nicolas Cage movie premiered at the Overlook Film Festival before being released to US theaters on April 14, 2023, where it failed to earn back its budget. With a production budget of $65 million, it only ended up grossing $26.7 million worldwide. During its time in theaters, Renfield had to compete with some big films like The Super Mario Bros. Movie, The Pope’s Exorcist, and John Wick: Chapter 4, which may explain why it didn’t do so well.
Critics and viewers had mixed reviews for the film, though most agree that it had plenty of action and gore. Some critics felt that the storyline and comedy were lacking and that they were outshined by the over-the-top action scenes, like Nicolas Cage’s support group massacre and Nicholas Holt’s apartment fight scene. Currently, it holds a rating of 5.8 out of 10 on IMDb and 58 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.
Even though Renfield failed at the box office, it is definitely still worth a watch while it’s streaming on Peacock. Even if you just watch it to see Nicolas Cage play Count Dracula, a performance that he is undoubtedly proud of, it will be worth it.
