Lego Batman Director Chris McKay In Talks For Dracula Spin-Off Movie Renfield

Lego Batman Movie director Chris McKay is in talks to helm the movie Renfield, focusing on Dracula's henchman. The film is the one of several films based on classic horror characters being developed by Universal.

The news comes via Deadline, which states that McKay is currently in negotiations to direct and produce the movie. Renfield's script has been written by Ryan Ridley (Rick and Morty) from an outline by Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman.

The Renfield movie was first announced in November 2019, with Dexter Fletcher (Rocketman) attached as director. Renfield appeared in Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula and has been played by a variety of actors over the years, including Tom Waits in Francis Ford Coppola's 1992 Dracula adaptation and Klaus Kinski in a 1970 version.

Universal's development of various monster movies follows the success of last year's The Invisible Man--others include The Invisible Woman, to be directed by Elizabeth Banks, and The Wolfman, starring Ryan Gosling. This is the studio's second attempt to launch a series of films based on its classic horror properties, the first being the ill-fated Dark Universe. Reportedly, Renfield will be more focused on comedy and action than the other more horror-orientated films.

In related news, McKay's live-action debut film, The Tomorrow War, will be released by Amazon Video on July 22. The sci-fi action movie stars Chris Pratt, Betty Gilpin, JK Simmons, and Mary Lynn Rajskub.