Though the two may share some DNA with one another, Nicolas Cage is explaining how Renfield‘s Dracula compares to his turn in Vampire’s Kiss. Cage starred in the 1988 black horror comedy as a literary agent who devolves into insanity after a one-night encounter with a woman who bit his neck. Flopping at the box office during its initial release, Vampire’s Kiss has since gone on to become a cult classic and one of Cage’s most memorable performances, making his Renfield appearance an anticipated one for fans of the actor.
Screen Rant recently spoke exclusively with Nicolas Cage to discuss his upcoming performance as Dracula in the horror-comedy Renfield. After having noted that the film marks a full-circle return to the horror genre after Vampire’s Kiss, Cage reflected on how the two differ, namely in the characters living in different contexts of supernatural versus mentally ill. See what Cage explained below:
That’s interesting because Vampire’s Kiss, it’s actually really not a funny subject matter as dark comedy as that movie is. We’re dealing with a man who’s losing his mind and mental illness, but because of that context – it’s not a supernatural context – I was able to get pretty abstract in my film performance. I had very clear visions of what I thought I could do with film performance. But I needed the engine and the context which would allow me to express that vision. So if the man is losing his mind, it’s not a big ask or a big reach to have him start moving around like Max Schreck in an old Nosferatu movie.
With Dracula, this is a character that is supernatural. This is a character that has made a contract with dark forces. And because of that, my surrealistic film performance can be supported. It would be foolish to me to try to make facial expressions or moves or vocal expressions like that in Pig or any more natural, realistic film performance. But with supernatural, with mental illness, sad and tragic as it is, but having grown up around it beginning with my mother, you could see where you could do surrealistic and beautiful moves that would not be applicable in other styles of filmmaking.
Why Nic Cage’s Dracula Could Be The Best Yet
Excitement has only grown for Cage’s turn as Dracula in the year and a half since it was announced he’d be playing the iconic bloodsucker in Renfield. Set photos and the first trailer quickly blew up the internet, with fans of the actor blown away by his colorful attire and makeup, with multiple comparisons made between him and the various Hammer Film Productions incarnations of the character, namely Christopher Lee’s Dracula.
Cage himself has pointed towards Lee, the late actor behind seven Dracula performances in Hammer-produced movies, as one of the key influences for his take in Renfield. The Oscar winner has also listed his own father, August Coppola, and late Grammy winner David Bowie as major inspirations for bringing the Transylvanian legend to life. With all of these elements factoring into Cage’s performance, he could ultimately be the best on-screen Dracula yet.
Key Release Date
Renfield
Release Date:2023-04-14
