Chris McKay directs the Dracula-inspired Renfield of The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman

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Deadline reports that Chris McKay (The LEGO Batman Movie) is in conversation with direct Renfield, a film about Dracula’s brainwashed servant. The film is from a sketch of The living Dead creator Robert Kirkman with the script written by Ryan Ridley (Rick and Morty

In Bram Stoker’s Dracula novel, RM Renfield is a prisoner in an asylum and is believed to be delusional and deranged, but in reality he is Dracula’s servant, brainwashed to obey Dracula’s orders. The film would not be a historical piece, but instead tell an original story set in modern times. It is produced by David Alpert, Bryan Furst and Sean Furst from Kirkman and Skybound Entertainment.

Universal is developing several films based on their iconic monsters. After last year’s success The invisible manthe studio wants to develop a fresh take on the classic characters in a series of solo films rather than creating a shared franchise as they hoped to do with the Dark Universe. in contrast to The invisible man and the next Wolf Man and Van Helsing reboots that are more horror based, Renfield becomes a mix of humor and action.

Renfield has appeared in almost every adaptation of Dracula, but one of the best-known portrayals is that of Peter MacNicol’s in the Mel Brooks and Leslie Nielsen parody Dracula: Dead and Loving It as Dracula’s clumsy, foolish and insectivorous slave.

Together with RenfieldUniversal also has two others Dracula-related projects in the works from directors Chloe Zhao (Nomadland) – described as a ‘futuristic sci-fi western’ – and Karyn Kusama (Destroyer), the latter of which will be produced by Blumhouse Pictures and will be a modern adaptation of Stoker’s novel. Meanwhile another one Dracula-inspired movie currently in development The last voyage of the Demeter by director André Øvredal and starring Corey Hawkins, a historical play about Dracula who travels to London and feasts on the ship’s crew during the voyage.

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Ricky Church – Follow me Twitter for more movie news and geek talk.

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