Nosferatu is an upcoming horror movie set to release on Christmas Day 2024. Directed by Robert Eggers, it is a remake of the original silent film Nosfertu directed by F. W. Murnau which was first released in 1922. The original film was based off of the novel Dracula by Bram Stoker which is a worldwide horror classic. This will now be the third adaptation of Nosferatu in the movie world.
Robert Eggers is known for his dark and gothic themes in his movies such as The Witch, The Lighthouse, and, more recently, The Northman. Throughout the trailer for Nosferatu we see these same gothic elements being used to create this horror fantasy. Though there hasn’t been a clear shot of Count Orlok yet, we see his dark persona and Robert Eggers own vision of the character. Eggers style, however, doesn’t attract all audiences. Not everyone is a fan of slow-burning, dark, and mysterious movies, but how is a movie about a vampire living in a castle not supposed to be dark and mysterious?
Count Orlok is essentially just based off of the Count Dracula. Orlok is just another adaptation of the famous vampire. However, Dracula and Orlok have different appearances. Dracula is much more human like while Orlok is seen as inhuman and corpse looking.
Now for the history. Nosferatu is a direct translation of the term Vampire. The story follows the mysterious Count Orlok (Max Schreck) who summons Thomas Hutter (Gustav von Wangenheim) to his remote Transylvanian castle in the mountains. The eerie Orlok seeks to buy a house near Hutter and his wife, Ellen (Greta Schroeder). After Orlok reveals his vampire nature, Hutter struggles to escape the castle, knowing that Ellen is in grave danger. Mean Orlok’s servant, Knock (Alexander Granach), prepares for his master to arrive at his new home.
The 1922 film is regarded as one of the most influential horror films of all time. The whole film is silent and in black and white; however, that doesn’t take away from the fact that it is dark, eerie, and going to frighten you.
In the upcoming Nosferatu, Robert Eggers seems to have his own ideas for how this story goes, labeling this film as “a gothic tale of obsession between a haunted young woman and the terrifying vampire infatuated with her, causing untold horror in its wake.” The movie has now been in development since 2015 after Eggers finished filming The Witch and it keeps gaining more and more hype, especially after the cast was announced.
The cast for the upcoming film is stacked with talented actors and actresses such as: Willem Dafoe, Emma Corrin, Lily-Rose Depp, Nicholas Hoult, and Bill Skarsgard as The Count Orlok. The cast is bound to bring in a large audience for the movie. Willem Dafoe has acted in Robert Eggers films before such as The Lighthouse and The Northman. Dafoe likes Eggers and loves his past work on movies: “He’s a great filmmaker and I enjoy his company.” Dafoe and Eggers have become friends over the years because of their passion for these movies. Their relationship isn’t just because of their passion for films, but it’s also because of their genuine respect for each others work they both say.
Nosferatu is clearly more than just a movie wanting to make money. It’s a passion project for Robert Eggers because of his love for this eerie horror story.
Will you be going to theaters this Christmas for this horror sensation?
