Universal Studio cast Nicholas Hoult as a lead in the upcoming horror film Renfield, says the AVClub. Hoult will depict the titular character, who is a delusional inmate of a Victorian insane asylum. Under the sinister influence of Count Dracula, Renfield starts acting as a grotesque parody of a vampire. In Bram Stoker’s horror novel Dracula, he is merely a minor character. This movie, however, will focus on his story.
Initially, the studio was in talks with actor and director Dexter Fletcher (Rocketman) to helm this project. Later, Fletcher left the project and was replaced by Chris McKay, who previously helmed movies like Edge of Tomorrow and The Lego Batman Movie. Ryan Ridley (Community, Rick and Morty) penned the script based on a pitch by the Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman.
Over the years, Hoult has taken on a series of frequently off-kilter roles. These included mutants (X-Men: First Class), zombies (Warm Bodies), and post-apocalyptic tribesmen (Mad Max: Fury Road). Hoult also proved himself to be a capable actor, appearing both on TV shows (Skins, Wallander, The Great) and in movies (The Favourite, Tolkien).
