Nicolas Cage Cast as Dracula in Upcoming Renfield Movie Opposite Nicholas Hoult: Reports

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Nicolas Cage is about to sink his teeth into the role of Dracula.

The Oscar-winning actor, 57, has been cast to play the iconic vampire role in the upcoming Universal Pictures project Renfield, according to The Hollywood Reporter and Variety. The monster movie stars Nicholas Hoult as the titular Renfield, who was a henchman of the villainous vampire in the original Bram Stoker Dracula story from the 19th century.

Chris McKay, who directed the Chris Pratt alien action flick The Tomorrow War, will direct Renfield, which THR reported is "described as a modern-day adventure story that is comedic in tone," though further plot details are unknown.

Reps for Cage and Universal did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's requests for confirmation.

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Many actors have portrayed Dracula in film, including Bela Lugosi in the black-and-white Universal classics, Gary Oldman in Francis Ford Coppola's 1992 version, Frank Langella, Christopher Lee, Gerard Butler and Luke Evans. Adam Sandler voiced Dracula in the Hotel Transylvania animated movies as well.

Cage has found success in blockbusters like Ghost Rider, National Treasure and The Croods. He's starred in various independent films recently, including Pig, which was nominated for best feature at the Gotham Awards this year.

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In August 2019, Cage told The New York Times Magazine about what his dream role would be.

"Captain Nemo. My first love, even before my parents, was the ocean. When I read Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, the depiction of Nemo was that he was also in love with the ocean. He had freedom, and he lived in a palace that was also a submarine, playing the organ. To me, that was a beautiful life," he said at the time.

He also explained in that interview why he likes to stay booked and busy adding more movies to his résumé: "Maybe there's been more supply than demand, but on the other hand, I'm a better man when I'm working. I have structure. I have a place to go. I don't want to sit around and drink mai tais and Dom Pérignon and have mistakes in my personal life. I want to be on set. I want to be performing. In any other business, hard work is something to behold. Why not in film performance?"