Fresh off her success inShang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, emerging star Awkwafina is set to jump from the MCU to the Universalmonster movie universe. The actress has joined the cast of aDracula spinoff movie titledRenfieldthat has been adding names quickly over the last few days.
Awkwafina, who was likely best known as a rapper before she got her big break in Hollywood a few years back. While she has appeared in successful films including Crazy Rich Asians, she introduced herself to a much bigger audience earlier this yearwhen she appeared inShang-Chias the best friend and close confidant of the titular character. Now she’s changing over from superhero films to the horror movie genre.
RELATED:Full Jurassic World: Dominion Prologue Is Now Available To Watch
Renfieldrecently named several other stars alongside Awkwafina,including Nicholas Cagewho will play the master of the night himself, Dracula. Nicholas Hoult has also been added to the spinoff, according toThe Wrap’s sources. Hoult is set to play the film’s titular character as the loyal sidekick to Cage’s Dracula.
So far, there hasn’t been a ton of details released aboutwhat role Awkwafina will playinRenfield, though it’s believed she’ll be playing a cop, so she could end up as an adversary to the other main characters. Story details are also being kept under wraps, but there are some well-known details about the character that’s being brought to the big screen once again.
In Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel that brought the legend of Dracula to the masses for the first time, Renfield is a kind of servant to Dracula who has been slowly transformed and driven slightly mad by the vampire. He eventually ended up at an insane asylum where he fed on vermin to “absorb their life force” much like Dracula did to his prey. His occupation of the asylum allowed the vampire to enter and attack Jonathan Harker’s fiance, Mina Harker. It seems likely that story will be changed up in some way forUniversal’s latest entry into that lore.
Before Renfield hits the big screen, Awkwafina has several other projects she’s launched or is getting ready to launch in addition to Shang-Chi. She’ll next appear alongside Mahershala Ali inSwan Songand an untitled Netflix comedy special that also stars Sandra Oh. The actor also saw her own Netflix original series,Nora from Queensair on the streaming service over the summer of 2021.Universalhas not yet announced whenRenfieldis due to release.
MORE:Mahershala Ali Had ‘Real Anxieties’ With His MCU Entry As Blade
