Played memorably by Dwight Frye in Tod Browning’s 1931 adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, the Count’s henchman Renfield is getting his own movie from Universal Pictures—and Nicolas Hoult (Warm Bodies) is set to star.
Deadline reported the casting news, though it doesn’t note whether Hoult will be playing Renfield himself or another character. In the novel, Renfield is Dracula’s zoophagous servant, believing he can absorb the life force of any creature he consumes. He is confined in the lunatic asylum overseen by Dr. Seward, where he regularly ingests flies, spiders, and even birds.
Plot details for the new movie are scarce, though we know it was based on an original pitch from Robert Kirkman, creator of The Walking Dead, and is rumored to take place in the present day. Ryan Ridley (Rick and Morty) wrote the script, and Chris McKay (The Tomorrow War) is on board to direct.
Words: Samantha McLaren (@themeatispeople)
