Renfield: Nicolas Cage on Bela Lugosi, Christopher Lee and other Dracula influences

In a production video for Renfield, Nicolas Cage noted that he was also influenced by Max Schreck’s indelible portrayal of Count Orlok, the vampire in the 1922 silent horror classic Nosferatu. Additionally, Cage said his late father August Coppola – who first showed him “Nosferatu” at age 5 – also found his way into his rendition as Dracula in “Renfield” because he had a “strong presence” and a “Elegant man who spoke with a mid-Atlantic accent.” Ultimately, Cage’s Dracula is a combination of professional and personal inspirations.

“I was trying to find other things to bring to the character, because a lot has been done—it’s been done well and it’s been done not so well—and I had to figure out what I could particularly contribute to the legacy of Dracula [because] it’s a Universal film,” Cage told Looper.

Having been exposed to monster movies at a young age, Cage is naturally a huge fan of the genre. During his interview with Looper, the Oscar winner took the time to show off some of his personal collections — a pair of vintage Aurora Monster models from Frankenstein’s Monster and the Wolfman. Cage admitted to Looper that he strangely didn’t have a model of the classic character Lugosi designed for Universal Pictures, but he had a brilliant idea to change that. “I don’t have the Dracula, so maybe Aurora will make my Dracula for her club,” Cage gushed. “I’d like to be invited!”

Renfield hits theaters on Friday, April 14th. Cage’s western The Old Way is available in digital video and video on demand.