‘Renfield’: Universal’s ‘Dracula’ Spin-Off Finds Director In ‘Tomorrow War’ Helmer Chris McKay
By Hoai-Tran Bui/April 13, 2021 2:30 pm EST
Deadline reports that Chris McKay is in talks to direct and produce Renfield, taking over from the previously reported director Dexter Fletcher (Rocketman). Renfield is based on an original story outline from Robert Kirkman, creator of The Walking Dead, and is scripted by Ryan Ridley.
Deadline also reports that McKay won out over a number of directors due to his “ultimate pitch as his ability to balance those [humor and action] in his past projects.” This was a mix that the studio is reportedly looking for, setting it apart from Universal’s other high-profile monster movies like Wolfman starring Ryan Gosling and a James Wan-produced Van Helsing movie.
McKay is joining Skybound Entertainment’s film team, which includes Kirkman, David Alpert, Bryan Furst, and Sean Furst, as producer on the project. McKay’ producing partner Samantha Nisenboim will also be joining the project as executive producer.
Other than that, details remain scarce on Renfield. Here’s what Universal had to say of the project when it was first announced in 2019:
Instead of prescribing a mandated updating of these monster stories and making them all part of a larger scheme, the studio loosened these restrictions and open-sourced to filmmakers who were inspired to create their own unique stories.
Similar to what’s being done with Blumhouse and Leigh Whannell’s upcoming Invisible Man film inspired by Universal’s classic Monster character, instead of pushing forward with the initial notion of an interconnected universe, the studio halted and reassessed and were reminded that what has led to these characters’ endurance over generations is passion and relevance. Universal remains committed to creating compelling filmmaker-driven projects based on characters from the studios vast monsters legacy.
