Robert Eggers and The Muppets finally have something in common. Both now have adaptations of Charles Dickens’ Christmas ghost story, A Christmas Carol.
Deadline confirms Warner Bros is developing this new retelling with Nosferatu director Eggers, who will write and direct. Little is known about the casting, but the report notes frequent collaborator Willem Dafoe could join Eggers, starring as the iconic Ebenezer Scrooge. Chris Columbus and Elenor Columbus are attached to produce via Maiden Voyage. Eggers will also produce.
A Christmas Carol is a novella written by Charles Dickens, first published in 1843. It tells the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, a miserly older man who despises Christmas and lives a cold, selfish life. On Christmas Eve, he is visited by the ghost of his former business partner Jacob Marley, who warns him to change his ways or suffer in the afterlife. Marley tells him he will be visited by three spirits: the Ghost of Christmas Past, the Ghost of Christmas Present, and the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come.
The iconic story has seen its fair share of retellings over the years from classic renditions to parodies like The Muppet Christmas Carol or Scrooged. As for Eggers, the filmmaker is known for horror films like The Witch, The Lighthouse, and last year’s Nosferatu. The latter was the biggest box office hit of his career, bringing in $181 million worldwide.
Next up for Eggers will be the Focus Features film Werwulf, slated for release on Christmas Day 2026, while he is also attached to direct a sequel to the 80s classic Labyrinth.
