Robert Eggers' Nosferatu Creeps Into Theaters This Holiday Season
Oct 2, 2024
The first official cinematic adaptation of the landmark 1897 novel, “Dracula,” was released by Universal in 1931, but it was actually not the first time that author Bram Stoker’s seminal vision hit the big screen. German filmmaker F.W. Murnau, with screenwriter Henrik Galeen, took the novel’s story and reworked it into his own vampire tale that would become an iconic work of art in its own right called NOSFERATU: A SYMPHONY OF HORROR. More than a century since the 1922 silent era classic was released, a new interpretation is about to cast its own shadow.
The upcoming horror movie, set to hit theatres on December 25, is not the first remake of the terrifying German Expressionist masterpiece, with Werner Herzog’s 1979 release of NOSFERATU THE VAMPYRE being the most notable example. However, this latest iteration is the work of one of the genre’s most esteemed talents and his signature vision has earned the film the distinction of being an AMC Artisan Film. Sink your teeth deeper into why and how NOSFERATU may be the perfect holiday treat for horror and classic film fans, and one that’ll be a must-see in theatres.
Focus Features’ official synopsis for NOSFERATU describes it as a “gothic tale of obsession.” The obsessed one is the vampire at the center of the story, who grows infatuated with a young woman tormented by his presence, which breeds unspeakable horrors in this supernatural period drama.
Based on that logline alone, it appears the reinterpretation is staying relatively faithful to the original film, which also involves real estate agent Herr Knock paying a visit to the unsettling vampire known as Count Orlok at his vast and foreboding home. The production design and the costuming also largely mirror that of the original, suggesting that the most distinctive differences lie in the fact that this retelling is a “talkie” and uses color cinematography.
Count Orlok was first brought to life in Murnau’s NOSFERATU with a bone-chilling performance by Max Schreck, but filling the vampire’s shoes this time is Bill Skarsgård, who is no stranger to disappearing into fearsome entities. The Swedish-born actor’s most iconic performance to date is that of Pennywise – a shapeshifting, fear-feeding demon who frequently appears to children as a clown in Andy Muschietti’s two-part, big screen adaptation of Stephen King’s IT.
Joining Skarsgård in the new NOSFERATU cast is Nicholas Hoult – someone “familiar” with vampire lore, having played the title role of RENFIELD in 2023 – Lily-Rose Depp, who appeared with her father, Johnny Depp, in horror films TUSK and YOGA HOSERS, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who also has KRAVEN THE HUNTER releasing in December. Emma Corrin of DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE fame also stars, alongside Simon McBurney – who recently delved into gothic storytelling in Netflix’s THE PALE BLUE EYE – and Ralph Ineson and Willem Dafoe, who, with NOSFERATU, are each starring in their third collaboration with the artist at the helm.
The writer and director of 2024’s NOSFERATU is Robert Eggers, who has been developing this reimagining as a passion project of his since 2015, as Deadline reported that year. In fact, it was initially intended to be his sophomore feature-length effort, following the release of his horrifying breakout period drama, THE WITCH, starring Anya Taylor-Joy and Ralph Ineson as members of a family plagued by a supposed curse, which A24 released in 2015.
Instead, he followed it up with 2019’s dreary psychological thriller, THE LIGHTHOUSE, which starred Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson as two 19th-century lighthouse keepers nearing the edge of madness. Eggers’ third and most recent film was the 2021 Viking epic, THE NORTHMAN, in which Bill Skarsgård’s older brother, Alexander Skarsgård, played a prince seeking revenge for the brutal murder of his father.
NOSFERATU may be a remake, and one of multiple reimaginings of classic horror stories in the year 2024 alone. Yet, just by watching the trailer, it is easy to tell that this will be a refreshingly new reinterpretation. See for yourself by watching the clip below:
The teaser immediately puts us in a chokehold by showing Lily-Rose Depp’s character placed in a chokehold by a monstrous hand we can only assume belongs to Count Orlok. That one shot actually boasts the clearest depiction of the villain, who is only shown twice more, but heavily shadowed to preserve Bill Skarsgård’s full appearance as the villain for the official reveal. The rest of the trailer is a montage of pure, nightmare-inducing madness.
Succumb to the darkness and witness the vampire’s return when NOSFERATU comes to an AMC Theatres location near you!
NOSFERATU opens December 25