Renfield: Nicholas Hoult reportedly set to star as Dracula's henchman in Universal Pictures release

It's been a good week for Nicholas Hoult. Last week, it was announced that the British heartthrob, 31, had landed a major part in Searchlight's new dark comedy The Menu, alongside Ralph Fiennes and Anya Taylor-Joy. And now, Empire reports that he's been lined up to play Count Dracula's titular henchman in the forthcoming Universal Pictures release Renfield.

Anyone who's read Bram Stoker's original Dracula novel will remember R. M. Renfield as an inmate of Dr John Seward's lunatic asylum who eats vermin in the belief that it enables him to suck out their life force. Renfield is seen as delusional, but it turns out he's a close ally of a certain vampire...

The idea for a Renfield movie was pitched to Universal Pictures by Robert Kirkman, who's best-known as the creator of The Walking Dead comics. He didn't write the script for the film, though – that job went to Rick and Morty scribe Ryan Ridley. Cineworld understands that Renfield will not be a period piece, but will actually be set in the present day – though, as yet, no further details have been revealed.

Nicholas Hoult is one of the most sought-after actors around at the moment, following his brilliant performances in the likes of Tolkien (2019) and The Favourite (2018), and these two new movies look set to make his star soar even higher. Those days of annoying the hell out of Hugh Grant as a young kid in About A Boy seem like a lifetime away...

What's your favourite Nicholas Hoult film? Let us know @cineworld.