After a couple of false starts, which included the castings of Anya Taylor-Joy and Harry Styles, it seems that director Robert Eggers is finally going to achieve his ambition of remaking the classic vampire horror Nosferatu.
As revealed by Deadline, Eggers – whose previous films include The Witch, The Lighthouse and The Northman – has enlisted Bill Skarsgard (It) and Lily-Rose Depp (The Idol) to star in his reimagining of the 1922 silent feature from filmmaker F.W. Murnau.
As per the trade, Eggers’ Nosferatu is described as “a gothic tale of obsession between a haunted young woman (Depp) in 19th century Germany and the ancient Transylvanian vampire (Skarsgard) who stalks her, bringing untold horror with him.”
Eggers was previously set to move forward on his long-planned remake prior to The Northman, with his Witch and Northman star Anya Taylor-Joy as the female lead and Don’t Worry Darling’s Harry Styles as her love interest. However, the project was put on hold due to budgeting and scheduling matters, with Eggers opting to instead to move on to his Viking epic.
Skarsgard is said to have been loosely attached to the role of the titular vampire – Count Orlok in the original silent film – since this previous incarnation. However, Eggers has been forced to look elsewhere for his female lead due to scheduling issues with the ever-busy Anya Taylor-Joy, with Depp emerging as his top choice to step in.
Nosferatu is being written and directed by Robert Eggers, with Jeff Robinov, John Graham, Robert Eggers, Chris Columbus and Eleanor Columbus set to produce. Focus Features is behind the film, which is yet to receive a release date.
