Robert Kirkman’s upcoming movie Renfield will feature Dracula in addition to his servant. Renfield is one of the more well-known characters from Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel and plays a key role in its story. He’s appeared in numerous Dracula adaptations, including the recent 2020 BBC One miniseries, where he was portrayed by Mark Gatiss. Other notable actors to play Renfield include Tom Waits and Peter MacNicol.
Since 2019, Universal has been at work on Renfield, which began as a pitch from Kirkman, well known for creating The Walking Dead comic book series. In April 2021 came the news Chris McKay had been brought on board to direct, with Ryan Ridley writing the script. It was also revealed Renfield won’t be a period film at that time. Kirkman offered more details about the movie’s tone and story in May, calling it “a fun, extremely violent comedy” and explaining it’s about Renfield realizing that being Dracula’s servant is a terrible job.
Despite that information, until now it’s been unclear if Dracula himself will actually appear in Renfield. Kirkman recently cleared that up during a Comic-Con panel, responding to a fan question about Dracula’s role in the movie and who might play him:
Will Dracula be in it? Absolutely! The whole plot is that Renfield is, you know, Dracula’s servant and decides that he doesn’t want to be a servant anymore. It’s that conflict that kind of drives the story. So yeah, Dracula’s actually a big part of the movie. Who will play him? Can’t say. Wish I could.
Though Dracula’s role in Renfield doesn’t come as a huge surprise, it’s nice to have this confirmation from Kirkman. Some may have been excited about the possibility of a completely standalone story for the character, but Dracula’s appearance doesn’t mean Renfield will take a back seat. Instead, it sounds like the movie will show a different facet of their relationship than what’s been explored in past adaptations, focusing on Renfield’s side of things.
It makes sense Kirkman isn’t quite ready to share who will play Dracula, as the film is still in the relatively early stages. However, with the writer previously classifying Renfield as a comedy, it seems likely Universal and the creatives behind the movie will seek out an actor specializing in comedy over drama. Kirkman’s statement that he “can’t say” could hint the actor playing Dracula has already been cast, though it’s impossible to know for sure.
Though there have been many Dracula adaptations over the years, it sounds like Kirkman’s take on the story will offer something new. For one, the focus on Renfield will set it apart, as will its more comedic tendencies. With the director and writer now set for a few months, hopefully more information about Renfield, including who will play the title character and his vampire boss, will be revealed soon.
