Sherlock Holmes and Dracula are the two most heavily-adapted fictional characters in history, so it’s hardly a surprise to discover that there are multiple projects in the works based on each literary icon.
Netflix may have canceled The Irregulars, but the streaming service still has Sherlock Junior, Sherlock’s Daughter and Millie Bobby Brown’s Enola Holmes franchise on the table, while the Count is set to feature in a number of wildly different movies over the next few years. Karyn Kusama is developing a straightforward adaptation Bram Stoker’s novel, Academy Award winner Chloe Zhao is working on a futuristic sci-fi Western version of Dracula, while spinoff Renfield has been described as a more comedic spin on the story where the legendary vampire exists only on the edges of the narrative.
The project originated from a pitch by The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman, with Rick and Morty and Community alum Ryan Ridley set to pen the script. We haven’t heard much about Renfield since it was first announced in November 2019, but in a new interview, Kirkman offered up the first concrete details, and they’re certainly enough to pique our interest.
“We’re doing this cool movie for Universal that’s a focus on Renfield. It’s a story about him being Dracula’s henchman, and how sh*tty a job that is. It’s a fun, extremely violent comedy, because I’ve got a crutch and it’s violence.”
Dexter Fletcher had been attached to direct Renfield, but he dropped out and was replaced by The LEGO Batman Movie and The Tomorrow War‘s Chris McKay just a couple of weeks ago. The brief outline relayed by Kirkman will inevitably draw comparisons to Taika Waititi’s inspired mockumentary What We Do in the Shadows, but an R-rated comedy about Dracula‘s put-upon lackey realizing he’s not getting a fair deal out of their partnership is undoubtedly ripe with comedic potential.
Tell us, though, are you interested in seeing this new take on the iconic character? Let us know down below.