From the 1922 original by FW Murnau to today, the brilliant Robert Eggers is finally ready to debut with his next heart-stopping experience. The remake of “Nosferatu”, coming to theaters on January 1, 2025, comes after having created some of the best examples of high-voltage cinema in recent years, waiting for the right moment before measuring himself against the founders of the genre. According to the latest information, we will witness the most ambitious project of his filmography, capable of competing with the standards of previous titles and of mixing tradition with expressive research in an effective synthesis.
As the official synopsis suggests, “Nosferatu” will not be too far from the 1920s classic, nor from the 1979 remake by German master Werner Herzog. The main plot details read as follows: “Nosferatu tells a gothic tale of obsession between a tormented young woman in 19th-century Germany and the ancient Transylvanian vampire who haunts her, bringing with him unspeakable horror.” Originally inspired by Bram Stoker’s literary masterpiece “Dracula,” Eggers’ “Nosferatu” will star Lily-Rose Depp, Nicholas Hoult, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Willem Dafoe, and Emma Corrin; but we can’t wait to see what Bill Skarsgård’s Count Orlok will look like, as he promises to deliver an even more chilling portrayal of the iconic vampire than he did in the two recent “It” films.
On the profile of the disturbing character, the director gave Total Film some interesting considerations. His goal, says the director, was to return to perceiving the vampire as a scary subject , distancing him from the positive perception that the character of Edward Cullen in the series "Twilight" has recently aroused among viewers: «We have arrived at Edward Cullen, to show vampires who are not scary. I asked myself: how can we go in the completely opposite direction? Vampires were once so scary that they pushed people to dig up the corpses, cut them into pieces and set them on fire. I think we deserve a scary and smelly body again».
On the connection with tradition, the director says he preferred not to see the previous versions of the film, so as not to be influenced in the creative process. Only after having filmed a good part of the shots in the Pernštejn Castle, in the Czech Republic, did he discover that the same places also appear in Herzog's previous "Nosferatu". In fact, according to what emerged in an interview for Empire, we discover that: «It was actually used as a castle for Werner Herzog's Nosferatu, but I didn't watch that film on purpose, so it never occurred to me. We managed to use Herzog's castle without using Herzog's castle, which was fantastic».
As for the location search for Orlok’s residence, the choice fell on the Hunedoara Castle in Transylvania. On this, Eggers added: “We wanted to shoot the Transylvania scenes in real locations, but in the end it wasn’t financially feasible. So we shot in different parts. Most of the Transylvania you will see in the film is the Czech Republic, but the most epic landscapes are really Transylvania, including the castle.”
In addition to the trailer and official posters, the marketing moves to promote the film have gone well beyond normal habits: apparently, the founder of Heretic Parfum, Douglas Little, has created a perfume also called “Nosferatu”, capable of reproducing the same smell as the famous vampire. According to the official press release, we discover that the fragrance was created based on accurate scientific research and respecting the “understanding of the historical period”. On sale at the price of 125 dollars for a 30 ml bottle, engraved with the inevitable seal of Count Orlok, the article undoubtedly turns out to be a bizarre ploy to deceive the wait for the film; and perhaps, the most passionate will not fail to take it into consideration.
