THE NORTHMAN Director Robert Eggers Wants Willem Dafoe to Star in His NOSFERATU Movie
Over the past few years, director Robert Eggers has been developing a remake of the classic 1922 vampire film Nosferatu. Eggers is the filmmaker that previously brought us films such as The Witch, The Lighthouse, and the upcoming movie The Northman. There’s a good chance that Nosferatu will be his next film, and he wants Willem Dafoe to star in it.
Eggers already worked with Dafoe in The Lighthouse, and the actor was freakin’ amazing in that movie! He also is in The Northman and plays a jester of sorts. The two talents obviously enjoy working with each other so it makes sense that Eggers would want to work with him again.
Of course, when I think of Nosferatu and Willem Dafoe, my mind immediately goes to the fantastic 2000 horror satire film Shadow of the Vampire where Dafoe played a fictionalized version of Max Schrek, the actor who played the vampire Count Orlok in the original film. If you haven’t seen Shadow of the Vampire, you need to do that! It’s a great film that tells a fictionalized story about the making of the Nosferatu, and it also stars John Malkovich as director F.W. Murnau.
It would be pretty incredible to see Dafoe take on the role of the vampire Count Orlock in the movie. During an interview with /Film, Eggers was asked about his Nosferatu film and if he was looking to cast Dafoe in it. This was his response:
"'Nosferatu' is such an incredibly important film and story for me, so it's always percolating. If Willem ... if 'Nosferatu' is made, Willem better damn well be in it because I just love working with him ... but, you know, maybe he would play Ellen? Who knows."
Anya Taylor-Joy has been attached to this film project for a long time, and she is most likely going to take on the role of Ellen Hutter, the main protagonist of the classic 1922 film. It was recently revealed that Harry Styles was cast in the movie, but had to drop out.
Nosferatu is an unauthorized film adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula. The story follows a vampire named Count Orlok from Transylvania who expresses interest in a new residence in Germany. This is where he becomes infatuated with his real-estate agent’s wife.
Eggers has a long history with Nosferatu, as he produced a remake of it for his senior-year project. He also played Count Orlok in “a scene-for-scene re-creation of the silent film, complete with intertitles and sibling gargoyles.”
As a fan of Eggers work, I’m looking forward to seeing his vision of Nosferatu.