Nicolas Cage has been cast as Dracula in a new Universal Monsters movie titled Renfield, THR reports.

Renfield stars Nicholas Hoult (Deadpool 2, Dark Phoenix) as the titular sidekick and henchman of the 1897 gothic horror novel Dracula. Renfield was a patient in an asylum who was obsessed with drinking blood for immortality. Naturally, he finds himself under Dracula’s wing and is fed animals and the prospect of an endless life in return for his loyalty and adulation.

THR’s report doesn’t provide many details on how Cage’s Dracula and Hoult’s Renfield will play out in the upcoming film, but the project is described as “comically.”

Renfield is directed by Chris McKay, whose work includes Amazon’s The Tomorrow War and The Lego Batman Movie. Ryan Ridley, who has writing and voiceover credits on Rick and Morty, is writing a screenplay based on an original screenplay by Robert Kirkman, co-creator of The Walking Dead comic book.

In many ways, this sounds like the culmination of Cage’s many crazy roles, from the filicidal father in Mum and Dad to, aptly enough, the guy who thinks he’s turning into a vampire in horror comedy Vampire’s Kiss. 1989. A few years ago, we put together a list of Nic Cage’s wackiest moments, and one can only hope that Renfield will have a scene or two that will make a difference in a cover of this play.

For everything else on the horizon, check out our full guide at upcoming movies of 2021 and beyond.