Given that Count Dracula’s immortal existence has been defined by an unquenchable thirst for blood extracted from human necks by his prominent fangs, you’d have hoped Nicolas Cage’s take on the iconic vampire would be the suckiest thing about Renfield. Unfortunately, that crown has now been taken by the movie’s dismal opening weekend at the box office.
As recently as Friday, director Chris McKay’s horror comedy was predicted to take second behind the all-conquering behemoth that is The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which is closing in on $800 million already to extend its quickly-unassailable lead as the highest-grossing video game adaptation of all-time.
However, not only did Renfield drastically fall below predictions with a crushingly underwhelming $7.7 million debut, but it couldn’t even snatch the runner-up position, with Russell Crowe’s The Pope’s Exorcist finishing almost $2 million ahead. To be honest, things were beginning to look sketchy for the film when it fell to The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King in Thursday night previews, with a four-hour epic released 20 years ago beating out a high concept gore-fest starring Nic Cage as one of the most iconic figures in pop culture history.
With an estimated $65 million budget – plus the additional marketing and distribution costs – it wouldn’t be a stretch to write Renfield off as a bomb already, especially when a B- CinemaScore indicates that it isn’t going to do a huge amount of repeat business. Just when you thought the Cage comeback was on, the role he was born to play has taken a stake through the heart.