News on Netflix: Nicolas Cage fulfills his dream by playing this character that has been around for 127 years

Thirty-five years after playing the bloodthirsty (or almost) in Kiss Me Vampire, Nicolas Cage is once again slipping into the skin of a fantasy creature…but not just any creature! In Renfield, the actor wears the mythical cape of Dracula, the character born from Bram Stoker’s pen 127 years ago. A character you always dreamed of playing on screen.

In this retelling of the myth, Nicolas Cage portrays a lavish and, shall we say, nasty version of the character. The most narcissistic wizard ever, he delights in torturing his assistant, young Renfield.

The latter is forced by the master to provide him with prey and to satisfy all his demands, even the most humiliating ones. But after centuries of slavery, she is finally ready to break free from the shadow of the Prince of Darkness. Only on the condition that he manages to end the relationship that binds them together.

“It was crazy and overwhelming”

In this case, Cage reunites with Nicholas Hoult, whom he met on the set of The Weather Man. And despite the rivalry between their characters, the friendship between the two men is quite palpable on screen. Directed by Chris McKay (Lego Batman), the film is described by the team as “crazy and over-the-top.”

And we can definitely use that term to talk about the filming itself. In Stoker’s novel, RM Renfield is a character in a mental hospital who dreams of transforming into Dracula. Given his personality, he has the peculiarity of absorbing a large number of animals. especially insects.

In the movie, this aspect was preserved in the script. Although many fake insects were created, the production designer and his team still had to order edible versions available online: earthworms gelatin, real dried grasshoppers in various flavors (ranch and barbecue sauces or vinegar and salt), including beetles, potatoes. Even insects and tarantulas. According to reports, the actor ate about a hundred locusts during the filming. Hat!

Renfield to discover on Netflix.