Skybound Entertainment co-founder and CEO David Alpert teases how Renfield tells a new Dracula story, including the toxic relationship between the infamous vampire and his servant. Renfield and Dracula were first introduced in the 1897 Bram Stoker gothic horror novel Dracula. Renfield is an obsessively devoted servant of Dracula, helping him in his schemes, but the new movie will take a different approach to the titular character and his bloodsucking boss.

Alpert shared new insights into how Renfield tells a different type of Dracula story. He guarantees that this is nothing like the other Dracula stories audiences have experienced. Alpert explains that Renfield looks at Dracula as both a literal and an emotional vampire, examining the toxic co-dependent relationship between this employer and employee.

David Alpert: We have Renfield coming up in April, and the thing for us with Renfield was you've seen plenty of Dracula stories. There's been a million Dracula stories, but I guarantee you have never seen this take on Dracula, or the notion that Renfield and Dracula are in a co-dependent relationship and that Dracula's the ultimate narcissist.

It's one of those things that once you hear it, you're like, "Ah, of course." You call somebody a psychic vampire at work. You're like, "Oh, no, no. He is not only a psychic vampire, he's the vampire." You play those dynamics. I don't think we've ever really seen that. I think it's always those intersections of something familiar but done in a completely different way that we love.
Renfield Is A New Take On Dracula


Skybound Entertainment is well known for taking new approaches to classic genres, with The Walking Dead being a more character-driven zombie apocalypse story and Invincible taking a darker look at superheroes. Now, Renfield will show the most infamous vampire of all time from a new perspective, that of his loyal servant. Exploring a co-dependent relationship between a narcissist and an employee who can't escape is something many people can relate to. Renfield cleverly combines the literal definition of "vampire" with the concept of an emotional vampire to create the most terrifying boss possible in Nicolas Cage's Dracula.

While the Renfield trailer shows Dracula briefly, he isn't at the forefront because, unlike every other movie, television series, book, or play, this isn't his story. Exploring the co-dependent relationship between Dracula and Renfield will flesh out the character that has often been a footnote in the vampire's horrific tales. Specifically showing their dynamic from Renfield's perspective as he tries to separate himself from this toxic relationship is a unique approach to a story that has been told countless times.

Traditionally Renfield is Dracula's wild minion who longs to become a vampire, a prize that Dracula is happy to dangle in front of him and never fulfill. Renfield's devotion is tied to his desire to join Dracula as a creature of the night, but Renfield can change the script. This is an opportunity to make Renfield a more fully developed character as he breaks away from his narcissistic boss and finds a new path. By finally telling the story from his perspective, Renfield has the opportunity to show a very different side of both the titular character and Dracula.