Ben Schwartz joins the cast of Universal’s Dracula movie, Renfield. The Emmy-Award winning comedian and actor is perhaps best known for his frequent appearances as Tom’s Haverford’s (Aziz Ansari) fast-talking friend, Jean-Ralphio, on the NBC sitcom, Parks and Recreation, though he was also a lead in the Showtime series, House of Lies. Other than his roles onscreen, Schwartz is a prolific voice actor known for portraying Sonic the Hedgehog in the 2020 movie of the same name, a role which he’ll reprise for the sequel slated for April 2022.
Renfield hails from director Chris McKay (The Tomorrow War, The LEGO Batman Movie) with a script from Rick & Morty writer, Ryan Ridley, based on an outline from the co-creator of the The Walking Dead comics, Robert Kirkman. The film will focus on Dracula’s famed henchman, R.M. Renfield, who first graced the pages of Bram St0ker’s classic gothic horror novel in 1897. Nicholas Hoult will star in the titular role, while Nicholas Cage has signed on to play Dracula. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings star, Awkwafina, also recently came aboard in an undisclosed role.
Now, Renfield is continuing to round out its cast. Variety was the first to break the news that Schwartz has come aboard Universal’s upcoming Dracula tale. The actor’s role is unknown, and there is still no timeline for when the project might begin production.
While he is mostly known for his voice acting, Schwartz’s most recent live-action feature film roles are the Disney movie Flora & Ulysses, Sia’s directorial debut, Music, and the indie comedy Standing Up, Falling Down opposite Billy Crystal. Schwartz’s upcoming roles include the Apple TV+ miniseries produced by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, The Afterparty, as well as the second season of Netflix’s Space Force. The ever-busy actor has now added the anticipated take on Dracula to that list.
Actors like Schwartz and Awkwafina, who are best known for their comedic performances, might seem a little out of place in Renfield if it was a totally faithful adaptation of Stoker’s source material. However, the film is believed to take place during modern day and adopt a more light-hearted tone à la Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement’s What We Do in the Shadows. The film recently tapping these two comedic actors only serves to back up that belief. With only four confirmed cast members so far, look for Renfield to continue adding big names in the coming months as it ramps up to start production.
