(Left) Milly Alcock in ‘House of the Dragon.’ Photo: Ollie Upton / HBO. (Right) DC Comics’ Supergirl from writer Tom King’s ‘Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow.’ Photo courtesy of DC.com.
Preview:
Milly Alcock has won the role of Supergirl the DCU.
She will first appear in James Gunn’s ‘Superman: Legacy’.
The character will also lead ‘Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow’.
James Gunn has found the person he wants to play Kara Zor-El –– AKA Supergirl, the superpowered young woman who is Superman’s cousin –– in ‘Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow’.
Milly Alcock, best known for playing the young Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen in HBO’s first season of ‘Game of Thrones’ spinoff ‘House of the Dragon’, has landed the much-sought-after role in the DC Universe being overseen by Gunn and his fellow DCU boss/producer Peter Safran.
While such casting announcements –– this one came via The Wrap –– usually sit in the rumor sphere before the studio comments, Gunn has taken to Instagram to confirm Alcock’s presence in the DCU.
‘Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow’ will be a big-scale sci-fi film based on Tom King and Bilquis Evely’s comic run. It features a “darker, harsher” version of Kara Zor-El raised on a surviving chunk of Krypton who sees everyone around her die.
This is what Gunn said at the time of the announcement:
“This is a very different type of Supergirl. In our film, we see the difference between Superman, who was sent to Earth and raised by loving parents from, you know, the time he’s an infant, versus Supergirl, who was raised on a rock chip-off of Krypton and watched everyone around her die and be killed in terrible ways for the first 14 years of her life, and then came to Earth when she was a young girl and is much more hardcore. She’s not exactly the Supergirl we’re used to seeing.”
Who else was in the running for Supergirl?
Emilia Jones in ‘CODA’
Alcock got the role after an audition and a screen test, and the other two main contenders were Emilia Jones (who starred in Oscar winner ‘CODA’ and appeared in last year’s ‘Cat People’), and Meg Donnelly, known for the Disney ‘Zombies’ movies.
Donnelly also had some experience with Supergirl, as she has voiced the role in several animated DC outings.
Milly Alcock in ‘House of the Dragon.’ Photo: Ollie Upton / HBO.
‘Superman: Legacy’ has a release date scheduled for July 11th, 2025. Given that it has yet to find a director, the Supergirl movie has yet to lock in a date.
(Left) Writer, director, co-chairmen and co-CEO of DC Studios, James Gunn. Photo courtesy of James Gunn’s Twitter account. (Right) Superman. Photo courtesy of DC Comics.com.
(Left) J.K. Simmons in Prime Video’s ‘Big Sky.’ Photo: Chuck Hodes. Copyright: Amazon Studios. (Right) Clint Eastwood in ‘The Mule.’ Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.
Preview:
J.K. Simmons is part of the cast of Clint Eastwood’s latest film.
He’ll be a juror in the legal thriller.
The film has yet to lock down a release date.
Given how fast he works –– even at the age of 93 –– Clint Eastwood is already finished shooting his new movie, ‘Juror #2’. The movie had to shut down production when the actors’ strike hit but geared back up again in early November and is now in the editing stage.
(L to R) Director Clint Eastwood and Andy Garcia on the set of ‘The Mule.’ Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.
Written by Jonathan Abrams, ‘Juror #2’ will follow a member of the jury of a murder trial who suspects he may have had some part in the victim’s death –– in fact, possibly killed them himself in a vehicular accident –– and is caught in a moral conundrum of whether to use his secret to sway the jury away and protect himself or turn himself in to the justice system he is participating in.
Nicholas Hoult is playing the lead role of the juror, Justin Kemp, with Toni Collette as the district attorney on the case.
Eastwood had reportedly been weighing several scripts and in recent months zeroed in on this film as his likely final project.
(L to R) J.K. Simmons as Walter Boggs and Frank Grillo as Pauly Russo in the action/thriller, ‘One Day as a Lion,’ a Lionsgate release. Photo courtesy of Lionsgate.
The actor, who won an Oscar for ‘Whiplash’, might be most recognizable to genre fans as J. Jonah Jameson, the grumpy Daily Bugle editor he played across Sam Raimi’s ‘Spider-Man’ trilogy (and who has popped up since in Jon Watts’ take on the story as an alt-universe variant of Jameson who fronts a web news series).
In addition to those projects, he’s playing a swole Santa in the Dwayne Johnson/Chris Evans holiday film ‘Red One’, though that won’t be released until next year’s Christmas season.
When will ‘Juror #2’ be in theaters?
As of right now, ‘Juror #2’ is still awaiting a release date. There is a chance that Warner Bros. will look to release the movie close to awards season next year, touting it as Eastwood’s final film.
Clint Eastwood in Wolfgang Peterson’s ‘In the Line of Fire.’
Skyler Gisondo has been cast as Jimmy Olsen in ‘Superman: Legacy’.
Sara Sampaio has also joined the movie as Eve Teschmacher.
Director James Gunn has been busy building his cast around stars David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan.
As he looks to get the movie chugging towards production again in the wake of the writers and actors’ strikes, filmmaker James Gunn is quickly building the cast he needs for ‘Superman: Legacy’.
There has been a flurry of new casting of late, with Nicholas Hoult the most recent addition as villain Lex Luthor.
Today brings word that Skyler Gisondo, seen in movies such as ‘Booksmart’ and ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’, has won the role of Jimmy Olsen. Sara Sampaio, meanwhile, will play Luthor’s assistant (and often love interest) Eve Teschmacher.
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What’s the story of ‘Superman: Legacy’?
(Left) Writer, director, co-chairmen and co-CEO of DC Studios, James Gunn. Photo courtesy of James Gunn’s Twitter account. (Right) Superman. Photo courtesy of DC Comics.com.
The exact storyline remains a mystery, but Gunn has been clear that he’s eschewing the usual exploding home planet Krypton/arrival in Smallville origin story (though those will likely be referenced) in favor of more of a workplace film with Clark showing up to work at the Planet, where Lois Lane will already be an established reporting star.
Peter Safran said this about the new movie during the duo’s big announcement about DC films and series going forward:
“It focuses on Superman balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing. He is the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way. He is kindness in a world that thinks of kindness as old-fashioned.”
Who else is in ‘Superman: Legacy’
(Left) David Corenswet in Netflix’s ‘The Politician.’ (Right) Rachel Brosnahan on Prime Video’s ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.’
Gunn has already found both his Superman and Lois, as David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan were announced before the actors’ strike began.
Shortly after that, we learned that Isabela Merced nabbed the part of Hawkgirl, regular Gunn actor Nathan Fillion would be taking the role of Green Lantern Guy Gardner, with ‘Barry’s Anthony Carrigan winning the character of Metamorpho and ‘Twilight’ veteran Ed Gathegi aboard as Mister Terrific.
More recently (as in, the last week or so), María Gabriela de Faría, who will play The Engineer, and as mentioned above, Nicholas Hoult is on to be Lex Luthor.
Created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, Olsen debuted in comics form in Superman #13 (November–December 1941) and on the radio.
He traditionally appears as the best friend to Clark Kent (Superman’s cover story) and works as a photojournalist at the Daily Planet alongside Clark and Lois.
Who is Eve Teschmacher?
(Left) Sara Sampaio in ‘Carga.’ (Right) Valerie Perrine as Eve Teschmacher in ‘Superman.’ Photo: Warner Bros.
As opposed to many of the other Superman characters who got their start on the comics page or radio serials, Miss Teschmacher was created for 1978’s ‘Superman’ by director Richard Donner and writer Mario Puzo. Played in that film and sequel ‘Superman II’ by Valerie Perrine (where she was Lex Luthor’s associate), the character also since crossed over into the comics and has appeared in other DC spin-offs, including ‘Supergirl’.
When will ‘Superman: Legacy’ be in theaters?
The new Superman film is scheduled to be in theaters on July 11, 2025.
James Gunn in ‘Superpowered: The DC Story.’ Photograph by Courtesy of Max/Warner Bros.
Nicholas Hoult will play Lex Luthor in ‘Superman: Legacy’.
James Gunn is directing the film, with David Corenswet as Superman and Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane.
The film will be in theaters in 2025.
With the end of the actors’ strike, we’re now seeing a torrent of casting announcements, with names being attached to projects big and small all over Hollywood.
The latest is one that many had speculated one –– despite being rumored as a potential candidate to don the cape himself and play Superman, Nicholas Hoult has instead won the role of the hero’s main antagonist, the genius criminal Lex Luthor. Which feels like a good use of his particular style and charms.
James Gunn has written and will direct ‘Superman: Legacy,’ which though it will follow a couple of TV shows to screens is intended to spearhead his new take on the DC movie universe.
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What’s the story of ‘Superman: Legacy’?
(Left) Writer, director, co-chairmen and co-CEO of DC Studios, James Gunn. Photo courtesy of James Gunn’s Twitter account. (Right) Superman. Photo courtesy of DC Comics.com.
Little is truly known about the plotline at this point, but Gunn has been clear that he’s eschewing the usual exploding home planet Krypton/arrival in Smallville origin story (though those will likely be referenced) in favor of more of a workplace film with Clark showing up to work at the Planet, where Lois Lane will already be an established reporting star.
Peter Safran said this about the new movie during the duo’s big announcement about DC films and series going forward:
“It focuses on Superman balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing. He is the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way. He is kindness in a world that thinks of kindness as old-fashioned.”
(Left) David Corenswet in Netflix’s ‘The Politician.’ (Right) Rachel Brosnahan on Prime Video’s ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.’
Gunn has already found both his Superman and Lois, as David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan were announced before the actors’ strike began.
Shortly after that, we learned that Isabela Merced nabbed the part of Hawkgirl, regular Gunn actor Nathan Fillion would be taking the role of Green Lantern Guy Gardner, with ‘Barry’s Anthony Carrigan winning the character of Metamorpho and ‘Twilight’ veteran Ed Gathegi aboard as Mister Terrific.
(Left) Isabela Merced in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Rosaline,’ exclusively on Hulu. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios.(Center) Nathan Fillion at the premiere of ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3.’ (Left) Edi Gathegi in ‘Aporia.’
More recently (as in, the last week or so), María Gabriela de Faría, who will play The Engineer. “Who?” we hear casual comic book fans asking… Angela Spica aka The Engineer. Part of the Warner/DC flick’s villain team, her powers stem from nanotechnology built into her body.
Created by Warren Ellis and Bryan Hitch, she’s the second DC character to bear the name of The Engineer and was first introduced in ‘The Authority vol.1 #1’ in 1999.
Hoult, of course, is known for movies such as ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ and ‘Warm Bodies’ and has comic book form playing Beast in the most recent ‘X-Men‘ movies for 20th Century Fox.
He will become just the latest person to play Luthor (Superman’s most famous enemy) on the big screen following Gene Hackman, Kevin Spacey and, most recently, Jesse Eisenberg.
When will ‘Superman: Legacy’ be in theaters?
Gunn recently confirmed that the new Superman film is on track to still hit theaters on July 11, 2025.
The DC Studios boss, who remains committed to making movies of his own while crafting the studio’s overall strategy, has been writing the script for a new Superman movie for a while now.
And in looking for the cast –– the sort of roles that can change or define careers –– he’s been particularly careful.
Finally, it appears he’s cut down the list to the final choices, as actors David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan have been cast as Superman –– and his alter ego/disguise, Clark Kent –– and Lois Lane, the fellow reporter at the Daily Planet newspaper who will become the love of his life.
Gunn and his producing partner (and DC Studios co-CEO) Peter Safran have been conducting screen tests for the final few actors in full costume and makeup, with “test deals” in place (so they get paid for showing up).
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What’s the story of ‘Superman: Legacy’?
Little is truly known about the plotline at this point, but Gunn has been clear that he’s eschewing the usual exploding home planet Krypton/arrival in Smallville origin story (though those will likely be referenced) in favor of more of a workplace film with Clark showing up to work at the Planet, where Lois will already be an established reporting star.
Safran said this about the new movie during the duo’s big announcement about DC films and series going forward:
“It focuses on Superman balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing. He is the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way. He is kindness in a world that thinks of kindness as old-fashioned.”
Who is David Corenswet?
David Corenswet in Netflix’s ‘The Politician.’
Corenswet is a rising star at this point, but he does have some projects in his resume, including ‘Pearl’ and ‘Affairs of State’ in theaters and ‘We Own This City’, ‘Hollywood’ and ‘The Politician’ on TV screens.
He’s the sort of new face that directors love to cast as Supes, since he’s bringing less baggage with him to the role (if you’ll recall, Henry Cavill had the likes of ‘The Tudors’ in his background but hadn’t really broken through before ‘Man of Steel’.
Who is Rachel Brosnahan?
Rachel Brosnahan in Amazon Prime Video’s ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’
Brosnahan, of course, is a different consideration. She’s well established, at least for TV viewers, since she’s played the title role in ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’ for a few years now. She’s also had some film roles, but while she’s higher profile than Corenswet, she’s not on, say the Angelina Jolie level.
We’re still waiting to hear who might end up in the other roles for the movie, though Nicholas Hoult was among those testing for Clark Kent, but who had also been considered as big villain Lex Luthor. There have also been rumblings of Bill Skarsgård as Lex.
And while Emma Mackey was at one point considered a front-runner for Lois alongside Brosnahan, she may end up with another role in this or some other DC Studios release.
‘Superman: Legacy’ is scheduled to hit theaters on July 11th, 2025.
(Left) Writer, director, co-chairmen and co-CEO of DC Studios, James Gunn. Photo courtesy of James Gunn’s Twitter account. (Right) Superman. Photo courtesy of DC Comics.com.
Leave it up to Academy Award-winning actor Nicolas Cage to really sink his teeth into the role of Dracula in Chris McKay’s ‘Renfield.’ In the dark comedy, things get bloody when Dracula’s lifelong assistant and familiar Renfield is tasked with finding food for his master.
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The official synopsis for ‘Renfield’ is below:
“In this modern monster tale of Dracula’s loyal servant, Nicholas Hoult 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.”
There was no better choice than Academy Award-winning actor Nicolas Cage. No stranger to creating unique characters on-screening, his portrayal of Dracula is bigger-than-life, overly dramatic, and perfect in every way. Even though the film is told through the lens of Renfield, Cage’s performance of Dracula steals every scene. Cage channeled Bela Lugosi and Elvis Presley as his inspiration for the iconic vampire, and it worked fantastically.
The character of Renfield has long existed in Dracula’s history before Chris McKay’s iteration. Early films like 1922’s ‘Nosferatu’ and 1931’s ‘Dracula’ have included the character, as well as TV shows such as ‘Young Dracula.’
In Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Renfield is described as a deranged and fanatic servant and familiar to Dracula. He was an inmate at the lunatic asylum overseen by Dr. John Seward. Renfield suffers from delusions that compel him to consume living creatures in hopes of obtaining their life force. Later on, Dracula would send him insects to consume.
In McKay’s movie, we see the story from Renfield’s perspective, who is still a servant and familiar to Dracula, but seeking ways to escape the toxic and co-dependent relationship with his narcissistic boss. His relationship with Rebecca (Awkwafina) adds to his motivation to be freed from Dracula’s grasp. Nicholas Hoult’s performance as Renfield carries the heart of the film, paired with exciting action sequences, which he performs effortlessly.
As an R-rated film, the horror-comedy includes exaggerated gore and violence, such as severed limbs and peeling faces.
The film was released theatrically in the United States on April 17th, 2023. While the movie is already available to rent on digital, some theaters are still showing the film, so be sure to check with Moviefone below for showtimes in your area. ‘Renfield’ has a total runtime of 1 hour and 33 minutes.
You now have the option to purchase ‘Renfield’ on VOD. Services such as Amazon Prime Video, Direct TV, Google Play, Vudu, Microsoft, YouTube, AppleTV, and Redbox allow you to own the movie digitally for $19.99.
Additionally, Peacock subscribers can stream ‘Renfield’ as of June 8, 2023.
DVD and Blu-Ray became available on June 6th, 2023, and will include exclusive bonus features such as:
Hilarious deleted and extended scenes
Alternate takes
Dracula Uncaged – Go inside the mind of a vampire as Dracula himself, Nicolas Cage, reveals the secrets behind turning a classic character into a memorable monster.
Monsters & Men: Behind the Scenes of ‘Renfield’ – An in-depth look at ‘Renfield’s cast, sets, costumes and more as the actors and filmmakers reveal how they modernized a famous terror tale with trailblazing comedy and over-the-top action.
Stage of Rejuvenation – See how special makeup effects bring the undead to life throughout the four stages of Dracula’s incredible transformation.
Flesh & Blood – Exploding heads. Peeling faces, Severed limbs. They’re all part of the macabre movie magic that fuels ‘Renfield’ with inventive action and hilarious horror.
Fighting Dirty – Stunt coordinator Christopher Brewster leads a look at the training, choreography, and careful execution that goes into the film’s spectacular stunts and fight scenes.
The Making of a Deleted Scene: Renfield’s Dance – Nicholas Hoult and choreographer Kathyrn Burns pull back the curtain on constructing an elaborate musical number for a fantasy dance sequence.
(Left) David Corenswet in Netflix’s ‘The Politician.’ (Center Left) Nicholas Hoult in ‘Renfield.’ (Center Right) Emma Mackey in Netflix’s ‘Sex Education.’ (Right) Rachel Brosnahan on Prime Video’s ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.’
Corenswet has apparently impressed Gunn enough that he’s moving forward to the screen test phase, though of course there is plenty of competition for that role in particular. Names such as ‘Euphoria’s Jacob Elordi and British actors Tom Brittney and Andrew Richardson have been in the mix, but it’s still very early days and none of those are apparently in serious contention.
Rachel Brosnahan on Prime Video’s ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.’
Since the film takes place during Clark/Superman’s early days as reporter at the Daily Planet and how important star reporter Lois Lane is to his story, hers is naturally a vital role to find. Rachel Brosnahan, the Emmy-winning star of ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’ reportedly rocked her audition but might be seen as too old at the grand age of 32! (The roles are apparently being targeted at 20-somethings).
So, a more likely choice, at least give age-wise, is ‘Sex Education’s Emma Mackey, who will be seen this summer in ‘Barbie’.
Then we have the villain, and from the sounds of it, ‘Legacy’ will feature the most famous Superman opponent, Lex Luthor. And if the Reporter’s story is to be believed, ‘Renfield’s Nicholas Hoult is currently the front-runner for the role. He’s nowhere near official yet, of course, but the word on him is positive.
Hoult has comic book experience, of course, having starred in several ‘X-Men‘ movies. And he was in consideration for Batman in Matt Reeves’ ‘The Batman’ but lost that role to Robert Pattinson.
There are also other classic DC characters involved, so expect a slew of casting stories once the actors are locked in.
Gunn, in typically open –– but still private –– style, took to twitter to reiterate that he won’t be commenting on any casting rumors.
For all of you asking, I would never comment on who is or isn’t AUDITIONING for a role. That’s the actor’s business only & isn’t something I’d make public unless they did it first after the fact (like @GlennHowerton or @ZacharyLevi having auditioned for Star-Lord & being top…
‘Superman: Legacy’ is scheduled to hit theaters on July 11th, 2025.
(Left) Writer, director, co-chairmen and co-CEO of DC Studios, James Gunn. Photo courtesy of James Gunn’s Twitter account. (Right) Superman. Photo courtesy of DC Comics.com.
According to Giant Freakin’ Robot, the respected actor/director is aiming to make legal thriller ‘Juror #2’ as his next film after 2021’s Western-flavored ‘Cry Macho’. He starred in that film, but it appears he’s ready to just direct this one for regular studio home Warner Bros. (though we could still see him popping up as a grumpy judge).
A confirmation from Deadline, though, cautions that the movie has yet to receive an official, final greenlight, but is close enough that Eastwood is planning the schedule for it, especially now that potential schedule clashes with his chosen stars have been figured out.
After the less-than-enthusiastic response to ‘Macho’, he’ll be aiming to make sure that this next endeavor is a big win. By the time he starts the cameras rolling, Eastwood will be 93 (the film is scheduled to start in June), so this could be his final film, at least as director. Which is not to cast aspersions on the legend’s health, more that he’s looking to gear down as director. We’re not going to count him out, though –– would you want to tell Clint Eastwood it’s time to retire?
Clint Eastwood in ‘The Mule.’ Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.
What’s the story of the new movie?
Written by Jonathan Abrams, ‘Juror #2’ will follow a member of the jury of a murder trial who suspects he may have had some part in the victim’s death –– in fact, possibly killed them himself in a vehicular accident –– and is caught in a moral conundrum of whether to use his secret to sway the jury away and protect himself or turn himself in to the justice system he is participating in. Hoult will be playing the lead role of the juror, with Collette as the district attorney on the case.
Oscar-winner Eastwood had reportedly been weighing several scripts and in recent months zeroed in on this film and began having talks with A-list talent to star, finally landing on Hoult and Collette.
The two actors are typically busy, with Hoult sticking with vampire territory, and currently at work on Robert Eggers’ ‘Nosferatu’ alongside Bill Skarsgård and Lily-Rose Depp. He’ll also be back for a third season of Hulu’s comedy drama series ‘The Great’, has a voice in next year’s animated ‘Garfield’ movie and is attached to Justin Kurzel’s next movie, ‘The Order’.
In ‘Renfield,’ Dracula’s (Nicolas Cage) lackey, R. M. Renfield (Nicholas Hoult), finds a new lease on life in modern-day New Orleans when he receives encouragement from a support group to finally stand up to his creator in hopes of breaking free of his servitude.
Meanwhile, a traffic cop named Rebecca Quincy (Awkwafina) discovers that she is surrounded by corrupt cops as she tries to prove that mob boss Ella Lobo (Shohreh Aghdashloo) and her son Teddy (Ben Schwartz) murdered her father. Renfield and Rebecca soon meet and fall in love, but their relationship becomes complicated when Dracula awakes and starts working with the Lobo crime family. Now, Renfield must stand up against his master before he takes over the world, and help Rebecca bring her father’s killers to justice.
‘Renfield’ is an absolutely entertaining movie, which is both very funny and also very scary, as was intended. Director Chris McKay balances the movie’s two distinct tones very well, while Nicholas Hoult’s strong performance anchors the film. But its Nicolas Cage’s spot-on and over-the-top performance as Dracula that really makes the humor and the horror work so well together.
While the story was created by ‘The Walking Dead’s Robert Kirkman, who knows a thing or two about the horror genre, the screenplay was written by Ryan Ridley, who does a great job creating a new way to tell the Dracula story. Although the character of R. M. Renfield has appeared in several other Dracula movies, this is the first time we’ve seen the classic Vampire character through the lens of his servant, which feels fresh and exciting. Ridley also balances the comedy and the horror well in the script, allowing director Chris McKay to navigate both tones throughout the movie.
In fact, ‘Renfield’ may be the best example of a true horror/comedy since director Sam Raimi’s classic ‘Evil Dead II.’ I’m not a big fan of horror by itself, but when done right and mixed with another genre, it can really work to create something new, as it does here. But it’s the well-written character-driven moments that really elevate the film, especially those between Renfield and Dracula, which seems more like a long marriage than a boss/employee relationship.
McKay began his career in animation and directed the brilliant ‘The Lego Batman Movie,’ before moving on to live-action with the Prime Video movie ‘The Tomorrow War.’ With ‘Renfield,’ McKay proves that he can handle live-action as well as animation, and create a thoughtful and entertaining genre movie with a big name star like Nicolas Cage, while still balancing the film’s distinct tones. McKay also includes some excellent action sequences that are really well shot and choreographed, and add to the excitement of the film.
Renfield has similar powers to Dracula, including super-strength and the ability to move very quickly, but he does not receive them from drinking human blood, instead he gains his strength from eating insects. In the movie, the character carries around a little box of bugs that he can eat when in danger, which allows him to use his powers for a short amount of time.
Nicholas Hoult’s performance as R.M. Renfield is both the anchor and the heart of the movie. We see all the other characters and events through his eyes, and in many ways he is at the emotional core of the film. From the opening frame, Renfield wants to better himself and get out from under Dracula’s clutches, which is why he enrolls in a support group. His relationship with Rebecca is also a motivating force in his desire to change. Through that relationship and Renfield’s actions, we get to see another side of the character, thanks to Hoult’s emotional performance.
Hoult is an excellent actor but is often cast in secondary roles that do not showcase his talents as well as they could, like his role in ‘The Menu,’ for example. But in ‘Renfield’ Hoult is front and center and practically carries the movie’s emotion and narrative on his back. Hoult is wonderful in the role, funny, strange, emotional, and even scary at times, while also authentically performing the action sequences. The actor has great chemistry opposite Cage, and gives one of the best performances of his career so far.
Nicholas Cage was uniquely qualified to portray Dracula, and I can’t think of any other actor that could bring the same level of gravitas and outrageous humor to the role. It’s perfect casting! Cage accesses his own strange public persona to play Dracula, while also channeling both the legendary Bela Lugosi (who played the famous vampire many times) and even a little bit of Elvis Presley to create the odd character.
But creating odd characters is Nicolas Cage’s bread and butter, and the actor does it again here, really “sinking his teeth” into the over-the-top performance and creating something completely different and captivating. You can tell Cage is having fun in every moment and is completely commanding in the role. He also has great onscreen chemistry with both Hoult, and actress Shohreh Aghdashloo.
I’ve always liked actress and comedian Awkwafina’s work, but she was miscast as Rebecca. The actress is just not believable as the only New Orleans police officer that is not corrupt. Obviously, she is a very funny actress and has worked well in comedic roles in movies like ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ and ‘Raya and the Last Dragon.’ But she is also an impressive dramatic actress and was nominated for an Oscar for her work in ‘The Farewell.’
However, in ‘Renfield’ the actress is asked to do both comedy and drama at the same time, and it just doesn’t work. For example, after having a fight with her sister over finding their father’s killer, an obviously dramatic scene, the actress does a funny walk for comedic effect. It makes the scene unintentionally humorous and it doesn’t fit the tone of the rest of the film. The actress makes her scenes with Hoult and their character’s relationship believable, but seems lost throughout the rest of movie.
Ben Schwartz is often cast in comedic roles, and to be honest, his brand of humor usually doesn’t work for me. But in ‘Renfield,’ the actor is perfectly cast as Teddy Lobo, a spoiled mama’s boy who desperately wants to be respected by his mafia family. Schwartz’s particular brand of self-deprecating humor lends itself well to Teddy’s whiney persona and the actor has some very funny moments with both Hoult and particularly Cage.
And while her role is small, Oscar-nominee Shohreh Aghdashloo is great as Teddy’s mom, mob boss Ella Lobo. The actress accesses the correct amount of gravitas and humor for the part, and has some very funny scenes with Cage and Schwartz. In fact, the idea that Dracula would wake up in 2023 and align himself with the mafia is already comedy gold, and the film explores that idea well.
In the end, ‘Renfield’ is a surprisingly entertaining movie that is as funny as it is scary. Director Chris McKay crafts an enjoyable romp, while Nicholas Hoult brings R.M. Renfield to life, and Nicolas Cage takes a big bite out of Dracula.
‘Renfield’ receives 8 out of 10 stars.
Nicolas Cage as Count Dracula in director Chris McKay’s ‘Renfield.’
(Left) Jude Law in Warner Bros. ‘Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore.’ (Right) Nicholas Hoult in Fox Searchlight Pictures ‘Tolkien.’
Australian director Justin Kurzel clearly has a thing for true crime stories. And he’s seen success with a few of them, including ‘Nitram’, ‘True History of the Kelly Gang’ and ‘The Snowtown Murders’. He’s back at the based-on-truth track for a new movie called ‘The Order’.
Jude Law and Nicholas Hoult are aboard to star in the film, which Zach Baylin––no stranger to real-life stories himself after writing the Oscar-nominated screenplay for ‘King Richard’––has adapted from Kevin Flynn and Gary Gerhardt’s book ‘The Silent Brotherhood’.
Here’s the basic pitch for ‘The Order’: In 1983, a series of increasingly violent bank robberies, counterfeiting operations and armored car heists frightened communities throughout the Pacific Northwest. As baffled law enforcement agents scrambled for answers, a lone FBI agent (Law), stationed in the sleepy, picturesque town of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, came to believe the crimes were not the work of traditional, financially motivated criminals, but a group of dangerous domestic terrorists, inspired by a radical, charismatic leader (Hoult), plotting a devastating war against the federal government of the United States.
It’s certainly topical and offers fertile ground for drama. Plus both Law and Hoult have long proved themselves capable of this sort of performance. Kurzel intends to start shooting this May in Alberta, Canada.
Both Law and Hoult have been typically busy of late, with Law joining the ‘Star Wars’ televisual galaxy via Jon Watts’ ‘Skeleton Crew’ series about youngsters caught up in the galactic clash. That should arrive on Disney+ this year. There’s also more mysterious drama ‘Black Rabbit’, a drama he’s been developing with Jason Bateman for Netflix, and which also boasts Baylin as one of the writers.
On the movie front, he’ll be Captain Hook for David Lowery’s latest live-action Disney project, ‘Peter Pan & Wendy’, which doesn’t have a release date yet, but we’re eager to see what the director does with the classic tale.
And in stories based on real-life, Law’s playing Henry VIII opposite Alicia Vikander’s Catherine Parr in ‘Firebrand’, which comes from director Karim Aïnouz.
As for Hoult, he was last seen in ‘The Menu’ and has ‘Dracula’-based action comedy ‘Renfield’ (in which he plays the troubled title character looking to break free from the vampire’s employ) due in theaters on April 14th.
Behind the scenes, the actor has a production company called Dead Duck Films and has been developing a TV series to star in called ‘Wildfire Johnny’. It tells the story of a young man who discovers a discarded straight razor with a note promising whoever possesses this blade will gain access to its particular magic. No word on when that one will be shooting yet.
