For the titular character, see R. M. Renfield. |
Renfield is a 2023 American action comedy horror film, and the third installment of the Dark Universe.[2] It was set to be directed by Dexter Fletcher,[2] but the film was ultimately directed by Chris McKay.
Renfield was released in the United States at April 14, 2023.[2]
Synopsis[]
In the early 20th century, Transylvanian vampire Count Dracula meets English lawyer R. M. Renfield. Renfield hopes to broker a land deal, and after proving to be a useful assistant, he ends up becoming Dracula's Familiar, which grants him immortality and super strength and speed when he consumes bugs.
Plot[]
In the early 20th century, Transylvanian vampire Count Dracula meets English lawyer R. M. Renfield. Renfield hopes to broker a land deal, and after proving to be a useful assistant, he ends up becoming Dracula's Familiar, which grants him immortality and super strength and speed when he consumes bugs.
Ninety years later, Renfield has grown weary of bringing victims to Dracula as well as the latter's abuse. They recently had a close call with vampire hunters who almost killed the count, so the duo moves to New Orleans to recuperate. There, Renfield discovers a 12-step self-help group for people in codependent relationships. He tracks down one of the group member's abusive lovers so he can give him to Dracula without feeling remorse, but they are attacked by an assassin hired by the rival Lobo crime family, whom Renfield kills.
The assassin's boss Teddy Lobo drives off and runs into a sobriety checkpoint that is run by police officer Rebecca Quincy, who arrests Teddy. At the police station, Teddy is released from custody, while Rebecca has a confrontation with her sister Kate, an FBI agent.
Dracula tells Renfield that the criminals he has brought as food are insufficient and that the vampire desires the blood of the pure. Renfield goes to a restaurant to abduct commoners while Rebecca is also led there by clues from the crime scene. The two are caught in an attack on Rebecca's life that Teddy has been pressured into making. Instead, Renfield and Rebecca defend themselves, killing several gang members, and leading Teddy to escape.
Teddy's mother, Bellafrancesca, orders him to hunt down the man who killed her footsoldiers, and he ends up encountering Dracula when Renfield is away. The two form an alliance while Renfield heeds the teachings of his self-help group and decides to make a life for himself apart from his master. Renfield gives a statement to the police to help them finally stop the Lobos. However, Dracula learns of Renfield's betrayal and slaughters the support group in front of him.
Rebecca appears and finds Renfield surrounded by dead bodies, causing her to arrest him until she is swarmed by corrupt police officers and the Lobos, who also want revenge on Renfield. Rebecca refuses to hand Renfield over, and she barely escapes with him. The next morning, Rebecca finds that Renfield has saved her life, and he explains his true origin. The two fight through corrupt police officers and Lobo henchmen who come to the apartment to kill them and escape, but after attempting to call Kate, Rebecca discovers that she has been taken hostage by Dracula and Bellafrancesca. She and Renfield stockpile weapons and bugs to storm the Lobos' headquarters, only to find that Dracula has empowered over a half-dozen gang members, including Teddy, with Renfield's supernatural abilities.
Renfield kills Teddy and the gang members while Rebecca heads to stop Dracula, only to find that Kate is beaten to near-death and only the healing properties of Dracula's blood can save her, which he will offer in exchange for Rebecca's loyalty. She tricks Dracula and injures him by exposing him to sunlight, leading to him having a final standoff with Renfield and Rebecca that ends with the two capturing him in a magical circle.
Renfield and Rebecca beat Dracula into pieces, then encase the pieces in concrete, and scatter them among the city's water system. Kate is healed, Bellafrancesca is arrested, and Renfield resurrects his self-help group friends with Dracula's blood, feeling empowered to make a new life for himself.
Cast[]
- Nicholas Hoult as R. M. Renfield
- Nicolas Cage as Count Dracula
- Awkwafina as Rebecca Quincy
- Ben Schwartz as Teddy Lobo
- Shohreh Aghdashloo as Bellafrancesca Lobo
- Brandon Scott Jones as Mark
- Adrian Martinez as Chris Marcos
- Camille Chen as Kate Quincy
- Jenna Kanell as Carol
- Danya LaBelle as Karla
- James Moses Black as Captain Browning
- Bess Rous as Caitlyn
- Caroline Williams as Vanessa
- Ronda Johnson Dents as Sharon
- Christopher Matthew Cook as Bob
- Michael P. Sullivan as Weird Kevin
- Rosha Washington as Trevante
- T.C. Matherne as Kyle Raimi
- Marcus Lewis as Apache Joe
- Derek Russo as Brice
- Marvin Ross as Sal
- Gabriel 'G-Rod' Rodriguez as Ronnie
- Dave Davis as Mitch Flaherty
- Keith Brooks as Doug Dobie
- Joshua Mikel as Phil
- Chloe Adona as Mandy
- Stephen Louis Grush as Cliff
- Christopher Winchester as Jones
- John Cihangir as Jeffrey
- William Ragsdale as Old Priest
- Millas Doleac as Vampire Hunter
- Helen Chandler as Mina Harker
- Edward Van Sloan as Abraham Van Helsing
Production[]
Pre-production[]
On November 20, 2019, it was announced that a film focusing on R. M. Renfield, a character from Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula, was in development. Attached were Dexter Fletcher as director, Ryan Ridley as writer, and Robert Kirkman, David Alpert, Bryan Furst, and Sean Furst as producers.[2]
Filming[]
To be added.
Post-production[]
To be added.
Release[]
Renfield premiered in the United States on April 14, 2023.[2]
Box office[]
Budget | Box office gross | Ref(s) | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
North America | Other territories | Worldwide | ||
TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA |
Critical reception[]
Source | Score | Consensus |
---|---|---|
IMDb | TBA (0 reviews) | N/A |
Rotten Tomatoes | TBA (0 reviews) | |
Metacritic | TBA (0 reviews) | N/A |
Appearances[]
Locations[]
Events[]
Items[]
- The Pen
- Cocaine
Sentient Species[]
Creatures[]
- Ants
- Cockroaches
- Centipedes
- Flies
- Rats (Mentioned)
- Spiders
Organizations[]
- NOPD
- The Lobos
- Vampire Hunters †
Mentioned[]
Videos[]
To be added.
Music[]
To be added.
External Links[]
To be added.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 'Rocketman' Director Dexter Fletcher, Robert Kirkman Tackling Universal Monster Movie 'Renfield'. Kit, Borys. hollywoodreporter.com. November 20, 2019.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Dracula's Favorite Weirdo Will Get His Own Universal Monster Movie, Renfield. Eddy, Cheryl. gizmodo.com. November 20, 2019.
[]
Dark Universe [v ● e] | |
---|---|
Films | The Mummy ● The Invisible Man ● Renfield ● Wolf Man ● Bride of Frankenstein (unreleased) ● Dark Army (unreleased) ● The Invisible Woman (unreleased) ● Monster Mash (unreleased)
Confirmed but untitled films: Frankenstein (unreleased) Untitled films: Creature from the Black Lagoon ● Van Helsing ● Dracula ● The Phantom of the Opera ● The Hunchback of Notre Dame .Dr.Jekyll |
Comics and manga | The Mummy: Dark Stories |
Video games | The Mummy: Prodigium Strike ● The Mummy: Dark Universe Stories ● The Mummy Demastered |
Live attractions | The Mummy Escape Game ● The Mummy Zero Gravity VR Experience |
Soundtracks | The Mummy ● The Invisible Man |
See also | Dark Universe (film studio) ● Minor Characters ● Monsters ● Monsters Legacy ● Timeline ● Universal Pictures |