Horror will be rising from the dead next Christmas as Focus Features has announced that Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu will fly into theaters on Wednesday, December 25, 2024. The classic tale first penned by Bram Stoker in the author’s legendary novel, Dracula, has been adapted for the big screen time and time again, but fans know that The Witch, The Northman, and The Lighthouse-helmer will put his own extra-dark twist on the upcoming production. While this year’s holiday box office numbers are looking a bit bleak with Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom expected to dive into lackluster earnings, the end of 2024 is gearing up to be a lucrative one for cinemas. Bolstering the industry’s hopes of bringing audiences into theaters, Nosferatu now joins previously announced titles including Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Disney’s live-action film, Mufasa.
As far as we know, Eggers will stick close to the original story of Dracula with his Nosferatu remake. Just in case you’ve never read the book or seen any of the films centered around the immortal creature, we’re here to catch you up. The film will transport audiences to the darkest days of the 1800s when a man named Thomas Hutter is sent by his boss to help a castle owner with some paperwork for a new home. While that could be a terrifying story on its own, things take a turn for the more menacing and mysterious when Hutter begins to uncover reasons that make him believe that his client, Count Orlok, might be a bloodsucking vampire. When Count Orlok catches a glimpse of Hutter’s wife, Ellen, he’s taken aback by her beauty — particularly that of her neckline — a totally normal thing to notice. With their lives in danger, Hutter and Ellen search for a way to destroy Count Orlok before it’s too late.
As mentioned at the top, Eggers is a pro at dark period pieces, having made his directorial debut with the mind-bending 2015 feature, The Witch. Staying in the vein of dismal, heavy, and psychologically troubling historical pieces, Eggers moved on to helm both The Lighthouse and The Northman, gaining critical acclaim for each one of his productions. Nosferatu marks Eggers’ second pairing with Focus Features, as the director and studio previously paired up on The Northman.
Who Is in ‘Nosferatu’?
As if terrifying audiences with his rendition of Pennywise in Andrés Muschietti’s It series wasn’t enough, Bill Skarsgård is back for more blood in Nosferatu as Count Orlok. Joining him as Thomas Hutter will be Nicholas Hoult in his second Dracula-related movie in recent years, following Renfield. Lily-Rose Depp (The Idol) joins the cast as Hoult’s on-screen wife, Ellen, with an ensemble including frequent Eggers collaborators, Willem Dafoe (The Lighthouse) and Ralph Ineson (The Witch) as well as Aaron Taylor-Johnson (The Fall Guy), Emma Corrin (The Crown), and Simon McBurney (Carnival Row).
As of right now, no trailer has been released for Nosferatu, but you can find out everything we know about the film in Collider’s official guide. The film will hit theaters on December 25, 2024. Stay tuned for more information.
via Collider