A Closer Look At How They Turned Nic Cage Into Dracula

Let’s face it; Nicholas Cage has been behind some incredible roles throughout his life. Surprisingly, his latest appearance on the big screen is far from the first time that he’s brought a vampire to life, but nothing has ever quite been like his appearance as Dracula in ‘Renield.’

The best bit? The comedy aspects of it all mean ‘Renfield’ checks all the right boxes when it comes to utilizing Nic’s incredible acting talents. Plenty have been left wondering how the actor managed to change his appearance to channel the performance of a lifetime, meaning we could need a closer look at how they turned Nic Cage into Dracula after all.

Renfield offers a new take on the Dracula story

For years, we have seen plenty of movies that focus on Dracula and telling his story, but what about those around him? That’s where the comedy ‘Renfield’ comes in. Dracula (played by Nicolas Cage) is, of course, the main vampire in question, but the film gives us a chance to look closer at his assistant, Renfield (played by Nicholas Hoult). It turns out he no longer wants to serve his master after finding a support group for people in codependent relationships, but things don’t sit well with Dracula. Instead, we get to see the pair battle it out as they both learn they can survive without the other by their side.

Everything about Nic Cage’s Dracula look is real

While the story and performances are gripping enough alone, the look Nic Cage brings to life as Dracula is out of this world. The incredible part? Everything about the look is real, with no CGI in sight. Instead, the movie’s Special Makeup Effects Designer, Christien Tinsley, explains that he started by working on a cast of Nic’s face. From there, they were tasked with creating everything about the look, which fans of ‘Renfield’ might know changes a little as the movie goes by.

3D printing helped with the detailed touches of the look

The main thing when creating a vampire is getting their teeth perfect, right? That was no exception for Nic Cage’s take on Dracula, but this time, he featured more teeth than plenty are used to seeing. It turns out Christien Tinsley used a 3D printer to make the finer details before filing them down and adding the necessary colors. Even the finer details were printed, with Tinsley creating individual fingernails to complete Dracula’s latest look.

Nicolas Cage was able to fully transform into the character

Believe it or not, but Nicolas Cage was so dedicated to the part of Dracula that he would often wear his costume for up to 14 hours a day. However, the team working on ‘Renfield’ believe this did nothing more than help to make the character feel even more lifelike. After all, the lack of CGI meant Nic could fully immerse himself in the character, with his co-star Awkwafina admitting she got chills the first time she saw Dracula on set. Even Cage confessed that the look was “real and magic at the same time,” meaning he could get fully caught up in the vampire.

Taking a closer look at how they turned Nic Cage into Dracula goes to show just how much work goes into bringing a movie - and the starring character - to life. That’s not all. The latest rendition of Dracula and Renfield’s story also helps to show just how important special effect makeup artists are in the world of Hollywood.