At this year’s CinemaCon, one teaser had everyone talking, which is Robert Eggers‘ Nosferatu’s first look. It is an upcoming American gothic horror film written and directed by Eggers and stars Bill Skarsgård as the titular vampire. Following the 1979 Werner Herzog’s directed film Nosferatu the Vampyre, it is the second remake of the 1922 German Expressionist film of the same name by F. W. Murnau, which is an “unauthorized and unofficial” adaptation of Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel Dracula.
With his upcoming film, Eggers will also stick close to the narrative of Dracula, maintaining its authenticity. The film will transport audiences to Germany during the 19th century and will follow Count Orlok’s infatuation with the married Ellen Hutter.
The upcoming film is a co-production of Studio 8 and Maiden Voyage Pictures.
What can be expected from Nosferatu after the first look?
Featuring Bill Skarsgård, Nicholas Hoult, and Lily-Rose Depp in the lead roles, Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu is a gothic tale of obsession between a haunted young woman and the terrifying vampire infatuated with her, causing untold horror in its wake.
The recently unveiled teaser showed Lily-Rose Depp dutifully praying and being vigilant while asking something – or someone – to come to her. A voiceover can be heard of Depp’s character, Ellen Hutter, asking Willem Dafoe’s Professor Albin Eberhart Von Franz if evil comes from within someone or if it works its way in from the outside. From here, the pace picks up, with horrific imagery filled with hoards of rats and a man biting a pigeon’s head off as we watch Nicholas Hoult’s Thomas Hutter take his first look at the castle of Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgård). Finally, off in the shadows, with the figure of a dog by his side, stood the towering titular vampire. Although we didn’t get to see Skarsgård’s face, the imagery was haunting enough, causing the audience to break out in thunderous applause.
Eggers started the development of Nosferatu in 2015, right after the release of his directorial debut, The Witch. He planned to make it his second film, describing it as a passion project. Eventually, Eggers opted to delay production and go on to direct The Lighthouse and The Northman instead. During an interview with Den of Geek around the release of The Lighthouse in 2019, Robert Eggers revealed that although he had dedicated a lot of time to bringing the iconic horror film into the 21st century, he didn’t know when or if it would happen. Despite that, Eggers said, “Look, I spent so many years and so much time, just so much blood on it, yeah, it would be a real shame if it never happened.”
Nosferatu was filmed in and around Prague between February and May 2023. It is set to open in theaters on December 25, 2024.
