Dracula Movie Renfield Adds The Expanse's Shohreh Aghdashloo Alongside Nicolas Cage And Nicholas Hoult
Every time there's a new piece of news released regarding the new "Renfield" movie from Chris McKay ("The Tomorrow War," "The Lego Batman Movie"), I can feel it hop up a position on the running list of most anticipated films I keep in my brain. First there was Nicolas Cage confessing that his inspiration to play Count Dracula is rooted in Gabriel in "Malignant," and now we've learned that the Oscar-nominated and Emmy winning Shohreh Aghdashloo ("House of Sand and Fog," "Arcane," "The Expanse") has joined the cast. Aghdashloo will star longside Cage's Dracula, Nicholas Hoult's Renfield, Awkwafina, Adrian Martinez, and Ben Schwartz.
Produced by the inimitable Robert Kirkman ("The Walking Dead," "Irredeemable Ant-Man," "Invincible") and written by "Rick and Morty" scribe Ryan Ridley, "Renfield" is a violent comedy horror film centered on Dracula's bug-eating underling, fed up after centuries of answering only to his Drac Daddy, and looking for something more. He sets out to start a new life and falls for a feisty, perennially angry, traffic cop named Rebecca Quincy (Awkwafina).
Per Deadline, Aghdashloo is set to play the character of "Ella," a woman with a huge personality who also happens to be one of the most feared crime lords in the city. I truly don't have a clue how all of the characters of "Renfield" are going to fit in with one another, but I'm excited to see the world Ridley had created for them.
Where Else Have You Seen Shohreh Aghdashloo?
The 69-year-old Iranian-American actress recently voiced Gozer the Gozerian in "Ghostbusters: Afterlife," a role she shared with Olivia Wilde and Emma Portner, which means "Renfield" won't be her first foray into the world of horror. She followed up her Academy Award-nominated performance in "House of Sand and Fog," by playing Dr. Sadira Adani in Scott Derrickson's "The Exorcism of Emily Rose," a professor in anthropology and psychiatry who testifies during Father Richard Moore's trial regarding Emily's death, fully believing that a spiritual possession may have taken place. Aghdashloo has also lent her talents in films like "X-Men: The Last Stand," "The Lake House," "The Stoning of Soraya M.," "The Odd Life of Timothy Green" and "Star Trek Beyond"
Yes, I have the pleasure of joining the amazing cast of Renfield. I love the genre and the role. I've never portrayed a character like her before. 😜🙏🏼❤️
Cannot wait to work with @buddboetticher.https://t.co/VjXrV1DdZA
— Shohreh Aghdashloo (@SAghdashloo) February 2, 2022
Aghdashloo is likely best known for her roles as Dina Araz in the fourth season of "24," as Chrisjen Avasarala on "The Expanse," and as Sajida Talfah on the HBO miniseries "House of Saddam," but imagining her as a crime lord in "Renfield" sounds like an absolute perfect role for her, especially if it leads to a face-off between Aghdashloo and Nicolas Cage's Dracula. Come on, McKay, give the people* what they want!
*me, I'm people.