Horror Filmmaker Robert Eggers to Remake 1920s Silent Classic Nosferatu
Robert Eggers, known for his chilling horror films, is set to remake the 1920s silent classic Nosferatu. The 2024 film will be a new take on the foundational horror film of the silent era, and details about the cast, release date, and story have already been revealed.
The Count’s Voice Revealed
In a recent appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, star Nicholas Hoult revealed the voice of Count Orlok, played by Bill Skarsgård. The clip shows the Count issuing orders to Hoult’s character Thomas Hutter in a gravelly rasp. While it’s unclear how much is Skarsgård’s performance and how much is audio manipulation, it’s clear that Eggers’ version of Orlok is even more terrifying than those that came before.
Release Date
The vampire will arrive in cinemas at Christmas 2024, offering the perfect counter-programming to other holiday movies. Focus Features chairman Peter Kujawski cheekily said, “The audacious filmmaking of Robert Eggers is always a gift for fans, and we can promise that his Nosferatu is planning quite the Christmas feast.”
Cast
The cast of Nosferatu is a star-studded affair, with several familiar collaborators returning to new roles. Lily-Rose Depp will lead the cast as Ellen Hutter, a young woman who unwillingly becomes the object of Count Orlok’s devious attention. She’s joined by Willem Dafoe as the crazed vampire hunter Professor Albin Eberhart Von Franz, and Dafoe had previously worked with Eggers on The Lighthouse. Bill Skarsgård continues his horror hot streak as he assumes the role of the titular vampire, Count Orlok.
Story
The plot details surrounding Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu are somewhat thin, but it’s presumably going to be a send-up to the original story of the 1922 film. The story follows a young woman as she is stalked by an ancient vampire who travels from his shadowy land to feast upon the heart of Western Europe. What’s perhaps most important is the style of the film, and Egger’s deft camera is uniquely suited to adapt F.W. Murnau’s original, German Expressionist, lens.
Trailers
In anticipation of the film’s Christmas release, a full trailer for Nosferatu has been dropped, which is just as terrifying as any feature film. The teaser sets up the gothic atmosphere and introduces Ellen Hutter as a young woman caught in the spell of some mysterious force. The second trailer further hypes up Nosferatu, framing the story told by Depp’s Ellen, who recounts a horrifying nightmare, before showing various scenes of terror as the vampire’s presence invades the town.
