Ben Shwartz has joined the cast of director Chris McKay and Universal’s newest monster movie, Renfield. Shwartz will be sharing the screen with none other than Nicholas Hoult, but the movie also stars Nicolas Cage and Awkwafina.

The movie is set to start shooting early next year in New Orleans and director Chris Mckay, who was behind Amazon’s Tomorrow War and The Lego Batman Movie, is the spearhead of the project. Count Dracula will be played by Cage but Hoult is set to star as the titular character, Dracula’s infamous acolyte and henchman. Renfield first appeared in Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel Dracula as a blood-drinking patient in an insane asylum who was convinced he would bear the gift of immortality by his vampire master. 

The story will take place in a modern-day adventure setting, Renfield plans on bringing a more comedic tone to the story while highlighting the toxic and co-dependent relationship between the two characters. 

Schwartz will play a mobster in the film. He is best known for is voice work and comedic acting roles including voice-starring in Sonic the Hedgehog and its sequel, set to be out next year. He has also starring in Marvel’s M.O.D.O.K. He will next be seen in Phil Lord and Chris Miller’s miniseries The Afterparty on AppleTV+ as well as the second season of Steve Carell and Greg Daniel’s Netflix series Spaceforce.

Renfield will be produced by McKay and Kirkman, alongside them will be David Alpert, Sean Furst and Bryan Furst. Samantha Nisenboim is executive producing.

The movie is set to begin filming in New Orleans next year.