The unbearable, massive talent that is Nicolas Cage was always destined to play a narcissistic vampire.
It’s in his blood, so to speak.
Rocking up to the New York premiere of his latest horror comedy masterpiece, Renfield, wearing Dolce & Gabbana zebra pants and a shimmering centuries-old style black blazer, Cage looked every bit the part as a Dracula, as did Nicholas Hoult, who plays the evil-dead’s title servant, RM Renfield.
“His father played the movie Nosferatu for him when he was five years old,” Renfield director Chris McKay told Forbes on April 14.
“I think that vampires and gothic films and silent movie acting were indelibly imprinted on him when he was really young.”
McKay confirmed Cage (Pig, Kick-Ass,Con Air) is a big fan of legendary actor Christopher Lee, the man responsible for one of the most iconic portrayals of Dracula, adding that “he sort of looks like him a bit.”
“He looked like a weird combination of Lee and Bela Lugosi when he put [on] the makeup, the hair, and the costume.
“I was shocked at how similar he looked … he also brings a lot of humanity and nuance to what Dracula is going through and these honest emotional reactions to Renfield,” he says, adding Cage brought a lot of his own ideas to the table including whether his pet crow could be in the movie.
For Hoult’s Renfield – known for eating bugs – he does so in this gory, yet funny thriller, which also stars Crazy Rich Asians Awkwafina.
“The cockroaches I got to eat in this were caramel,” Hoult said. “I also had crickets that were actually quite yummy; they were salt and vinegar flavoured or barbecue smoky flavoured,” he tells Deadline.
Premiering in cinemas on May 25, Renfield has already opened internationally to mixed reviews, some describing it as a messy gorefest, while others say Cage was born to play Dracula.
The wild-eyed master has four films in post production, and Renfield is his 121st film to date.
If the horror genre doesn’t appeal, there’s a solid selection of movies this month, including the last, adorable Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3 starring Chris Pratt, the well-crafted feature-length documentary, John Farnham: Finding the Voice, and Disney’s controversial live-action fantasy, The Little Mermaid.
For those who remember what it was like to watch a movie with a scratch-and-smell card, May also offers up a special screening of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in stinko-vision with promises of the smells of New York’s underground and pizza slices.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3: May 4
Are you ready for one last ride?
The family of Star Lord (aka Peter Quill) and his galactic friends reunite for a final battle, where good hopefully will prevail over evil.
Directed by James Gunn, the storyline goes that Peter Quill (Pratt), still reeling from the loss of Gamora (Zoe Saldana), must rally his team around him to defend the universe along with protecting one of their own.
Digitalspy reports the very first F-bomb has snuck into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, so watch out for that little gem. It’s when the superheroes are about to hit the road for a mission when Nebula (Karen Gillan) struggles to use the handle to open a car door.
“There’s a button under the handle… press that in!” says Star Lord.
After initially confusing the keyhole for the button, Nebula finally manages to press it. “OK, now what?” she asks.
“Open the f–king door!” Star-Lord replies.
Book Club: May 11
Starring Diane Keaton, Hugh Quarshie, Mary Steenburgen, Candice Burgen, Andy Garcia and Jane Fonda, Book Club follows the new journey of four best friends as they take their book club to Italy for the fun girls trip they never had.
Fonda’s character is getting married, and she confuses a handsome Italian police officer as a male stripper so there’s lots of situational comedy going on here.
Tweet from @DiscussingFilm
Hypnotic: May 11
Next up for Ben Affleck after Air is the tried-and-true storyline of a bank heist.
Co-starring Alice Braga, William Fichtner, Dayo Okeniyi and Hala Finley, Affleck plays a detective who becomes entangled in a mystery involving his missing daughter and a secret government program.
Interwoven is a stack of high-end bank heists, although sadly none wear masks of former US presidents to rob banks, as in the Keanu Reeves Point Break thriller.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in stinko-vision: May 13
It’s a special one-off edition so make sure you book ahead of time to immerse yourself in the sewers of New York City with an interactive and scent-sational viewing experience.
Based on the wildly successful comic book series by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, this follows the Turtles on their origin adventure, “accompanied with a menu of dank and delicious bespoke scents from Scented Storytelling to enhance the film’s stinkiest moments”.
Tweet from @TheFastSaga
Fast X: May 18
Family is everything. And a son emerges.
We can’t wait for Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Jason Statham, Rita Moreno, Tyrese Gibson and Chris “Ludacris” Bridges to get behind the wheels of very fast and furious cars for one of cinema’s most storied and popular global franchises.
The 10th iteration of the billion-dollar blockbuster series is filmed in Rome, so no doubt there’ll be pilgrimages and shrines to the Catacombs just like the fandom continue to do in down town Tokyo, Shibuya Crossing to be exact (Tokyo Drift, 2006).
Bad guy this time round is Aquaman‘s Jason Momoa.
Bad girl Charlize Theron (F&F 9) is also on the credits list.
“Over many missions and against impossible odds, Dom Toretto (Diesel) and his family have outsmarted, out-nerved and outdriven every foe in their path.
“Now, they confront the most lethal opponent they’ve ever faced: A terrifying threat emerging from the shadows of the past who’s fuelled by blood revenge, and who is determined to shatter this family and destroy everything—and everyone—that Dom loves, forever,” writes the logline.
Just a hint – it’s worth seeing the earlier films as this story draws on past incidents as cast and crew filmed everywhere from Los Angeles, Brazil, London, Portugal and Antarctica.
Marlowe: May 18
Starring everywhere actor Liam Neeson, Marlowe is a noir crime thriller set in the late 1930s in Los Angeles.
Neeson plays down-on-his-luck detective, Philip Marlowe, who is hired to find the ex-lover of a glamorous heiress (Diane Kruger), daughter of a well-known movie star (Jessica Lange).
The disappearance unearths a web of lies, and soon Marlowe is involved in a dangerous, deadly investigation where everyone involved has something to hide.
John Farnham: Finding the Voice: May 18
As much-loved John Farnham continues to recover from mouth cancer and a recent hospital stay, this first authorised documentary by filmmaker by Poppy Stockell promises to tell the untold story of the music icon.
It traces Farnham’s life from the quiet suburbs of Melbourne to ‘60s pop fame, through incredible highs and lows, and ultimately to record-breaking success as ‘Australia’s Voice’.
The Little Mermaid: May 25
After much controversy after Disney cast a woman of colour, Halle Bailey, as Ariel in The Little Mermaid, the live-action re-imagining of the animated musical has finally arrived.
“The youngest of King Triton’s daughters and the most defiant, Ariel longs to find out more about the world beyond the sea and, while visiting the surface, falls for the dashing Prince Eric.
“While mermaids are forbidden to interact with humans, Ariel must follow her heart. She makes a deal with the evil sea witch, Ursula, which gives her a chance to experience life on land but ultimately places her life – and her father’s crown – in jeopardy,” reads this storyline.
Starring Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric, Oscar-winner Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men, Being the Ricardos) as King Triton and two-time Academy Award nominee Melissa McCarthy (Can You Ever Forgive Me?, Bridesmaids) as Ursula, the film also carries a decent playlist for the drove home.
