First ‘Renfield’ trailer is concrete proof that whoever hired Nicolas Cage deserves a raise

We all know that a Hollywood project has to be really, really good to get Nicolas Cage to say yes to it, so right off the bat, the upcoming vampire flick Renfield already has more than its fair share of justification for its hype. Toss in the fact that Cage will be playing the one and only Count Dracula whilst surrounded by top-notch cast mates in Nicholas Hoult, Awkwafina, and Ben Schwartz, and all Renfield needs to get people buzzing is a rousing, gut-busting trailer, which we now have as of earlier today.

Renfield stars Nicholas Hoult as R. M. Renfield, the longtime lackey of Count Dracula (Cage) who’s had just about enough of his torturous life under history’s most famous monster. When he travels to modern-day New Orleans to round up some victims for Dracula’s next meal, he ponders the possibility of finally leaving when he falls in love with traffic cop Rebecca Quincy (Awkwafina).

The trailer, firmly framing Renfield as the fast-paced horror comedy it is, makes for an incredibly poetic development, as though we’re watching the ashes of Universal’s long-abandoned Dark Universe franchise rise from the over-serious shackles of its former master, daring to turn up the fun dials to 11 with Hoult’s zany acrobatics, a group therapy setting that’s bound to be the site of some delicious character dynamics, and a glimpse of Cage that all but confirms that he’s going to be right in his element with this one.

Renfield will release to theaters on April 14. We’re pretty sure you won’t have to be personally invited inside in order to enter the theater, but don’t quote us on that.