"Nosferatu" was originally released in 1922 and was directed by F.W. Murnau. It is considered as one of the first true horror films in movie history and is a loose adaptation of Bram Stoker's novel, "Dracula." It has now been confirmed that "The Witch" director, Robert Eggers, will be helming the remake of this horror classic.
In an episode of the "Filmmaker's Toolkit" podcast, the director confirmed that the remake was indeed going to be his next project. It should be noted that as of the time of writing his only known major film release was "The Witch," a film that first saw a minor release in 2015 during several festivals and a wide release earlier this year.
"It's shocking to me," Eggers explained. "It feels ugly and blasphemous and egomaniacal and disgusting for a filmmaker in my place to do 'Nosferatu' next. I was really planning on waiting a while, but that's how fate shook out," he went on to say.
"Nosferatu" follows the same beat as "Dracula," in which a vampire from Eastern Europe, in this case, Count Orlok instead of Dracula, heads to the West in order to expand his dominion. The original filmmakers in 1922 were sued by the Stoker family, and because of this, many copies of the film were destroyed.
It is also noted that Eggers' attempt will not be the first time a remake has been done. In 1979 director Werner Herzog directed a stylistic remake, taking visual cues from the 1922 film but replacing the names from the original "Dracula" novel. This version was also highly praised by fans and critics alike.
Eggers also explained he would be depicting the vampire villain in a way that is different from actor Max Schreck's version in 1922. Given that the Schreck version has become so iconic, Eggers explained he would have to put his own spin on it to give an equally iconic portrayal in the remake.
