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“Rocketman” director Dexter Fletcher is attached to direct Universal’s “Renfield,” a monster movie centered on Dracula’s henchman and based on an original pitch from Robert Kirkman.

“Rick and Morty” scribe Ryan Ridley penned the script. The film will be produced by Skybound Entertainment’s film team, including Kirkman, David Alpert, Bryan Furst and Sean Furst.

In the original “Dracula” novel, R.M. Renfield was an inmate at a lunatic asylum who was thought to be suffering from delusions, but is actually a servant of Dracula. Plot details are currently unknown, though it’s believed to take place during the present day and is not a period piece.

Universal had originally planned on creating an interconnected universe with its vast catalog of monster IP. However, the studio reassessed, and decided to move forward with filmmaker-driven projects based on the monsters’ legacies, focusing on what made the characters endure over time. Instead of prescribing a mandate that the films be part of a larger scheme, Universal loosened those restrictions and open-sourced to filmmakers to create their own unique stories.

That strategy is on display in Blumhouse and Leigh Whannell’s “The Invisible Man,” which debuts in 2020 and dropped its first trailer this month. Besides this and “Invisible Man,” Paul Feig is also currently developing a secret monster movie.

The film will mark Fletcher’s first genre film following two musical biopics, starting with “Bohemian Rhapsody,” on which he was brought on after Bryan Singer was fired midway through the shoot. He followed that up with the Elton John pic “Rocketman,” which is in the awards conversation this year and grossed $96 million domestically.

Best known as the creator of “The Walking Dead” comics, Kirkman has been sought out on the producing front for more horror IP that includes a reboot for “An American Werewolf in London.”

Fletcher is repped by CAA and Sloane, Offer, Weber and Dern. Kirkman is represented by CAA, Circle of Confusion and Katz Golden Rosenman, and Ridley is repped by 3 Arts Entertainment and Ziffren Brittenham.

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EXCLUSIVE: Chris McKay is in negotiations to direct and produce Universal Pictures’ Renfield, a monster movie centered on Dracula’s familiar henchman and based on an original story outline from Robert Kirkman. McKay’s producing partner Samantha Nisenboim will be joining the project as executive producer.

Ryan Ridley wrote the script. The film will be produced by Skybound Entertainment’s film team, including Kirkman, David Alpert, Bryan Furst and Sean Furst.

In the original Dracula novel, R.M. Renfield was an inmate at a lunatic asylum who was thought to be suffering from delusions but actually is a servant of Dracula. Plot details weren’t announced, but it’s believed to take place during the present day and is not a period piece.

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Nicolas Cage has made a career of biting into his roles with seemingly reckless abandon, even as he strayed further and further from studio moviemaking and sunk his teeth into indie cinema.

Now, in a deal sealed with a vampire’s kiss, Cage is returning to a big-studio movie and will play the meaty role of Dracula in Universal Pictures’ monster movie Renfield.

Nicholas Hoult is starring as the titular character, the vampire count’s infamous acolyte and henchman, in the feature directed by Chris McKay, the helmer behind Amazon’s The Tomorrow War and The Lego Batman Movie.

McKay and Robert Kirkman are producing along with David Alpert, Bryan Furst and Sean Furst. McKay’s producing partner, Samantha Nisenboim, is exec producing.

The character of Renfield originated in Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel Dracula as a patient in an asylum obsessed with drinking blood, deluded into thinking he will find immortality. He bows at the feet of Dracula, who, in the very definition of toxic work environments and co-dependent relationships, feeds him insects and rats and dangles everlasting life in front of him.

It is unclear how Renfield takes on the dynamic as plot details are being kept in the coffin, but the project is described as a modern-day adventure story that is comedic in tone.

Ryan Ridley, known for Fox’s Ghosted and Adult Swim’s Rick and Morty, penned the script based on an original story outline from Kirkman.

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EXCLUSIVE: Bess Rous (Ghostbusters, Murder in the First) will round out the cast of Chris McKay’s Universal monster movie, Renfield.

She joins an ensemble that includes Nicholas Hoult, Nicolas Cage, Awkwafina, Ben Schwartz, Adrian Martinez and Shohreh Aghdashloo, as previously announced.

The film based on an original story outline by Robert Kirkman (The Walking Dead, Invincible) centers on Renfield (Hoult), who has grown sick and tired of his centuries as Dracula’s (Cage) lackey. The henchman finds a new lease on life and maybe even redemption when he falls for feisty, perennially angry traffic cop Rebecca Quincy (Awkwafina).

Bess will play Caitlyn, a member of a support group for people in toxic relationships.

Ryan Ridley (Ghosted, Rick and Morty) penned the script. McKay is producing the film shooting in New Orleans with Skybound Entertainment’s film team, including Kirkman, David Alpert, Bryan Furst and Sean Furst, with his producing partner Samantha Nisenboim exec producing.

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Renfield
Only in Theaters April 14
www.renfieldmovie.com

Evil doesn’t span eternity without a little help.

In this modern monster tale of Dracula’s loyal servant, Nicholas Hoult (Mad Max: Fury Road, X-Men franchise) stars as Renfield, the tortured aide to history’s most narcissistic boss, Dracula (Oscar® winner Nicolas Cage). Renfield is forced to procure his master’s prey and do his every bidding, no matter how debased. But now, after centuries of servitude, Renfield is ready to see if there’s a life outside the shadow of The Prince of Darkness. If only he can figure out how to end his codependency.

Renfield is directed by Chris McKay (The Tomorrow War, The LEGO Batman Movie) from a screenplay by Ryan Ridley (Ghosted series, Rick & Morty series), based on an original idea by The Walking Dead and Invincible creator Robert Kirkman.

The film co-stars Awkwafina (The Farewell, Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings), Ben Schwartz (Sonic, The Afterparty) and Adrian Martinez (The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Focus).

Renfield is produced by Skybound Entertainment partners Robert Kirkman and David Alpert (The Walking Dead, Invincible), co-presidents Bryan Furst (Daybreakers) and Sean Furst (Daybreakers) and by Chris McKay. McKay’s producing partner Samantha Nisenboim (co-producer, The Tomorrow War) will executive produce.

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