Last month, the world heard the incredible news that madcap actor Nicolas Cage would be portraying Count Dracula in the upcoming horror-comedy Renfield. Not only is cage known for his insane performances, but he’s also a fan of black metal acts like Satyricon and Darkthrone, so the role suits him. Now, in a new interview, Cage opens up about preparing for the role — and he’s only made us more excited to see what he brings to the king of the vampires.
“I can tell you that it’s amazing,” Cage told Variety‘s Awards Circuit podcast. “It’s a really fun and exciting opportunity…I looked at Bela Lugosi’s performance [in Tod Browning’s 1931 adaptation], and then I looked at Frank Langella’s performance [in John Badham’s 1979 version]…I looked at Gary [Oldman]’s performance in uncle’s movie [Director Francis Ford Coppola, who directed 1992’s Bram Stoker’s Dracula, is Nic Cage’s uncle. –Ed], which I think it’s just so sumptuous. Every frame is a work of art.”
But Cage isn’t just going for a classic Dracula — he wants to add some body horror and J-horror to the mix. “I want it to pop in a unique way from how we’ve seen it played. So I’m thinking to really focus on the movement of the character. You know, I saw Malignant and I thought what she did with those moves — and even Ringu with Sadako [Yamamura, the ghost from the well] … I want to look at what we can explore with this movement and voice.
“What makes it super fun is that it’s a comedy,” he adds. “And when you get that tone right — comedy and horror — like American Werewolf in London, it’s a blast. It’s got to be a bulls-eye. But that’s what I’m looking for, something new to bring to the character, and also that perfect tone of comedy and horror.”
Keep your eye out for more news on Renfield in the near future, but man, we’re here for it.
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Words by Chris Krovatin
