Awkwafina to battle Nic Cage’s Dracula in Renfield
The Shang-Chi star joins a cast that includes Cage and Renfield himself, Nicholas Hoult.
Aux News Dracula
We’ll be honest: We have no clue who we’d draft to try to fight Nicolas Cage Dracula, which, as of earlier this week, swiftly became the three most terrifying words in all of cinematic history. “The bees” is the meme-y answer, obviously, but we don’t even know if bees and Draculas ever fight. (Why will no one tell us whether bees and Draculas ever fight?!)
Regardless of who we’d pick, though (A garlic-slathered John Travolta? A holy water-flinging Cher? As many stake-equipped Coppolas as we could reasonably bring to bear?), the producers of upcoming Nicholas Hoult vehicle Renfield have made one of their choices: Actor and comedian Awkwafina, who, per Deadline, has just been cast in the film.
Details about the movie are still sketchy, obviously, so we don’t actually know where Awkwafina will fall on the eternal battle between the forces of good, and the forces of Nic Cagula chowing down on necks and scenery with equal gusto. That being said, she’s fresh off of being one of the best parts of Shang-Chi, infusing a mixture of humor, bus-piloting chops, and action into the Marvel formula, so fingers crossed that she’s on humanity’s side.
Renfield will be directed by Chris McKay, who’ll be working from a story outline worked up by well-known zombie/comics guy Robert Kirkman. Hoult was attached to star in the film back in August, but, obviously, our minds went into full-on overdrive yesterday, when it was announced that Cage would be taking on the role of the malevolent Count himself.
The film—written by Ryan Ridley—marks Universal’s latest effort to milk something out of its classic monster movie properties, after Tom Cruise’s The Mummy somehow failed to set the world afire with anticipation for the Dark Universe. (Did they consider casting Nicolas Cage as The Mummy? And as Frankenstein? We’re just saying: Dracula is a good start, but the Nicolas Cage Universal Monsters Universe would be a hell of a thing to live through.)
64 Comments
So I assume she’ll be doing a racist black accent?
You mean sounding like she’s from New York because she’s from New York?
The assumption is that she can’t act her way out of a wet paper sack, regardless of her origin.
She’s an incredible actress, did you see The Farewell?
No I mean she go big saying shit like this…
I would be scared shitless to face Serena Williams across a tennis court.
In hindsight I jumped the gun on this. Mea culpa
I think that’s just how she talks… I can’t speak for all Black folks of course, but I’ve never considered the way she speaks to be “Black.” She talks like a young New Yorker.
Sorry I misremembered what she actually did…
That’s…not racist though? It’s kind of insulting to Serena personally and extremely insulting to whoever’s vag she’s insulting, but it’s not trading on her blackness so it’s not racist.Plenty of people actually are racist, no need to cry wolf.
I don’t think it’s insulting to Williams at all. (Of course maybe Williams had a different view.) It’s a reference to her prowess on the court.
Huh didn’t think of it that way but I can see that angle, sure.
Holy god does this Laserface guy ever need to shut the hell up.
Laserface is one of the better posters on this site and he just made a quick judgement on something he remember, so calm down. He said sorry.And as a POC myself I sometimes see comments like hers and start to wonder if there is more to it.
I’m not going to, because, thank god, I have better things to do, but if I were to dig through your comment history for something that annoyed me and then follow you around and post screenshots of it every time you commented, you’d be impressed by that? That would be high-quality commenting to you?
I’ve never had a problem with him and have enjoyed his comics posting from time to time and so many others have said in the past during a rando post that he is great. He is easy to remember because of his name. And no, I can’t imagine following people around at all but my memory of him is nothing but good posts. No clue who you are and won’t remember you again and again there is nothing wrong with that.
Yeah you’re right mea culpa.
Holy shit someone admitted they’re wrong on the internet! That’s a real standup thing to do, good for you 🙂
No no, everything is racist.
That means nothing is racist! brb going to shout the n-word all over town.*looks around town*No need, this place is full of racists anyhow.
I can see how that’s problematic, but depending on the context, I could be willing to let it slide.
Yeah in hindsight I jumped the gun on thsi.
That is not at all how she talks. She’s done plenty of interviews where she drops the act.
It’s not an act. It’s called code-switching and lots of people do it. Even in her show she sometimes sounds “normal” and other times her accent and slang are more exaggerated. If you heard me among my friends and then heard me at work you might think I was putting on an “act” with my friends too.
The problem with this act is that she’s appropriating black culture and doing it to make money. That’s quite a bit different than talking like more of a townie when you’re with your friends.
I hope you rethought what you wrote and see the total irony in saying that she speaks in a “racist black accent.”
Why would you assume that?
Sorry I misremembered what she actually did…
I don’t know anything about anything she’s said and I’m not defending her but, is that racist? Maybe she just thinks Serena Williams is frightening – I’d be shitting myself if I was on the other side of the net from her.As I say, I have no context, but if the quote contained something racist you should have included it.
You’re right. I deffinately jumped the gun on this from shit I vaguely remembered from September and should have done better diligence about. Mea culpa
heh hehI’m still none the wiser. Someone tell me who to hate!
Yeah I probably jumped to conclusions. My bad.
One can only hope!
TF are you talking about man? She’s from Queens!
Cool.
Absolutely Sarah Van Helsing
This is gonna be great. Cage and Awkwafina are going to make a Thanksgiving meal out of the scenery and I’ll be there for it.
eh I am extremely lukewarm on her addition. She was the least welcome part of Shang Chi IMO. It seems like “Hollywood” *wants* you to like her by ramming her down your throat. Since “Hollywood” did kinda the same thing with Ryan Reynolds and he finally found his niche, maybe she will find her niche as well. Until then she has really dampened my enthusiasm for this movie (Nic Cage is going to destroy as Dracula).
She was great in The Farewell and Crazy Rich Asians. One Marvel movie seems like a bad way to judge someone’s skill.
I’m also not a fan of Nora from Queens. The Farewell was good and Crazy Rich Asians was underwhelming. I get the same feeling when I see her that I do with Kevin Hart or Russell Brand–prepare to be annoyed.
Awkwafina is much better than Ryan Reynolds as an actor and as a comic actor.
I’ve never wanted a downvote button on Kinja more than right now
Just watch Nora From Queens, and then you’ll love her. It’s easy!
He didn’t like Nora From Queens, apparently. God help him, he’s beyond human help now.
Ryan Reynolds was already beloved before he was “famous” for the somewhat-cult-classic party movie Van Wilder.
I don’t really care what Hollywood wants me to like. I like her and I’m happy to see her put in lots of projects, and, for that matter, I like Ryan Reynolds. But it’s okay for you to not be as enthusiastic about this movie as I am. We weren’t going together anyway. lol
What’s funny about the headline is that it’s the complete opposite of the reality presented in the piece.
Yep!
I don’t know, I didn’t read it. I just looked at the picture for a while.
Is this going to be a contemporary Dracula?
Yes, he’s going to rap!
uh…great job, internet?
lol
Just to reiterate:
The movie is NOT called Freakin’ Dracula which is really too bad.
Ok between her and Cage I’m actually going to watch this.
Loved Cage’s last vampire movie.
Cage in a vampire movie and no mention of “I’m a Vampire. I’m a Vampire.” or the ABCs?A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z!!! That’s all you have to do!
She is so goofy in everything. idk…
We’ve come full circle!
Nic Cagula
So, I misread this at first as “Nic Caligula” and then pondered on that for a minute, and then had to go lie down.
I always thought I disliked Awkwafina for the past few years until I finally sat down and watched Shang-Chi this past weekend (which btw is a fantastic movie, what bizarre things the internet harangues over). I liked her a lot in it and changed my mind.
As long as it’s better than Dracula dead and loving it which was awful. Well besides one part.Is she any good? I didn’t watch her comedy central show because it was too much annoying new brooklyn in the commericals for me (I’m 48 and when I use to visit my buddies in Brooklyn it was a shit show of danger).
What producer does Awkwafina have dirt on that she can go from rapping about queefs on Youtube to being in 60% of all movies in like 5 years?