Nosferatu (2024 film)

Nosferatuis a 2024 Americangothichorror filmwritten and directed byRobert Eggers. It is a remake of the filmNosferatu: A Symphony of Horror(1922), itself an unauthorized adaptation ofBram Stoker's novelDracula(1897). It starsBill Skarsgård,Nicholas Hoult, andLily-Rose Depp. The supporting cast includesAaron Taylor-Johnson,Emma Corrin,Ralph Ineson,Simon McBurney, andWillem Dafoe.
Development began in 2015, when Eggers planned to make it his second film; he described it as a passion project, but eventually opted to delay its production. Skarsgård and Depp were cast in lead roles in September 2022. Filming took place primarily atBarrandov StudiosinPraguebetween February and May 2023.
Nosferatuhad its world premiere in Berlin on December 2, 2024, and theatrically released in the United States byFocus Featuresand internationally byUniversal Pictureson December 25. The film received positive reviews from critics and has grossed $176.6 million worldwide on a $50million budget, becoming Eggers' highest-grossing film. At the97th Academy Awards, the film earned nominations forBest Cinematography,Best Costume Design,Best Production Design, andBest Makeup and Hairstyling.
In the early 1800s, a young Ellen pleads for a supernatural being to ease her loneliness. Her cries awaken a mysterious creature who makes her pledge herself to him eternally.
In 1838, Ellen has marriedThomas Hutter, and the couple live in the German town of Wisburg. Thomas accepts a lucrative commission from his employer, Herr Knock, to sell the decrepit Grünewald Manor to the reclusiveCount Orlok. Ellen, disturbed by a pleasurable dream of marryingDeath, begs Thomas to stay, to no avail. He leaves her in the care of his wealthy friend Friedrich Harding and his friend's wife Anna, along with their two young daughters Clara and Louise.
Arriving at theCarpathiansinTransylvania, Thomas is surrounded by the local peasantry and seemingly shunned for associating with Orlok. He manages to secure a night at the inn by paying twice the rate, and is warned by an old woman not to visit Orlok. That night, he witnesses a group of theseRomaexhuming and impaling an alleged vampire's corpse with a stake. The following morning, he finds the village deserted and his horse gone. He continues on foot until an unmanned carriage carries him to Orlok's castle.
Upon their meeting, the strange and menacing Orlok forces Thomas to complete the property sale. Orlok demonstrates certainpreternaturalabilities in subtle ways that puts Thomas in a cognitive dissonance, but Thomas remains eager to please his client and continues on, refusing to fully acknowledge that something is wrong. When Thomas accidentally cuts himself during dinner, he blacks out and awakens to find a bite mark on his chest. Later on Orlok demands Thomas' locket containing a lock of Ellen's hair and does not give it back. He then coerces Thomas into signing a document written in occult script, which Orlok implies is the contract for selling the manor. Thomas is becoming increasingly sick and fearful. He demands to leave, but Orlok rebuffs him and demands Thomas remain to recover before departing. After awakening to find yet more bite marks on his chest, Thomas accepts what is going on, panics, attempts to escape the castle, and instead ends up in a crypt where he finds the Count asleep in a coffin. He grabs apickaxeand attempts to impale the large, grotesque body of Orlok, but Orlok awakens, grabs the pick, and chases Thomas. Thomas escapes Orlok and his wolves by falling into a river beneath the castle, and is cared for byOrthodoxnuns at a nearby church who inform him of the nature of Orlok. Meanwhile, Orlok sets sail for Wisburg inside his coffin and on a ship withplague-carrying rats, killing the crew during the voyage.
Dr. Wilhelm Sievers, unable to treat Ellen's frequent sleepwalking and seizures, consults with his former mentor, Albin Eberhart von Franz, a Swiss scientist ostracized for his occult beliefs. Von Franz believes Ellen is under the spell of a demonic, plague-bearing vampire called the Nosferatu. Knock is institutionalized after killing and eating sheep raw. Sievers and von Franz search Knock's office, believing he serves the Nosferatu, who is revealed as Orlok.
Thomas returns to Wisburg as Orlok's plague ravages the populace. Knock escapes, killing a porter, and escorts Orlok to Grünewald Manor. Orlok appears to Ellen and confesses that, while he is incapable of love, her pledge has intertwined their destinies and made his desire to possess her insatiable. The document he tricked Thomas into signing is revealed to void the Hutters' marriage. Knowing that his bond with Ellen cannot be sustained by force, Orlok says she must willingly submit to him within three nights, else he will kill Thomas and allow the plague to consume Wisburg. Ellen later has sex with Thomas after confessing her past with Orlok, which Orlok sees telepathically. He retaliates by killing Anna and her children. Driven mad with grief, Friedrich dies from the plague whileviolatinghis wife's corpse.
Von Franz's research suggests that the Nosferatu can be destroyed by a fair maiden's willing sacrifice. Knowing only she can stop the plague, Ellen conspires with von Franz to keep Thomas away. Thomas, von Franz, and Sievers go to Grünewald Manor where they accidentally kill Knock after finding him sleeping in Orlok's coffin. Realizing von Franz's deception, Thomas rushes back to save Ellen as von Franz destroys the vault. Ellen summons Orlok to her bedroom and re-pledges herself to him, having sex with him and allowing him to feed on her until sunrise, when the sunlight kills him. Thomas returns and holds Ellen's hand as she dies, while von Franz confirms that her sacrifice has freed them from the plague and Nosferatu.
In July 2015, the remake ofNosferatu(1922) was announced withRobert Eggerswriting and directing. Jay Van Hoy andLars Knudsenwere slated to produce the film for Studio 8.In November 2016, Eggers expressed surprise that theNosferaturemake was his second planned film, saying, "It feels ugly and blasphemous and egomaniacal and disgusting for a filmmaker in my place to doNosferatunext. I was really planning on waiting a while, but that's how fate shook out."During an interview withDen of Geekaround the release ofThe Lighthouse(2019), Eggers revealed that although he had dedicated a lot of time to bringing the story into the 21st century, he did not know when or if it would happen. He said that he "spent so many years and so much time[...] it would be a real shame if it never happened".
The film is a remake ofNosferatu, following the original made byF. W. Murnauin 1922 from a script byHenrik Galeenandthe 1979 remakebyWerner Herzog.Nosferatuactually came about because Murnau and his producers decided to make a film aboutDraculabut without usingBram Stoker's1897 novelin order to avoid paying royalties. The producers therefore changed some small details to avoid problems with the copyright holders. The film was loosely based on the book, but the names of the characters were changed. The version is set in 19th-century Germany and is based on the same premise as Stoker'sDracula. After the original film's release, a lawsuit was filed against the producers ofNosferatuwhich resulted in an order to destroy all copies of the film, but some copies survived and were restored after the death of Stoker's widowFlorence Balcombeand the subsequent expiration of the copyright.
Eggers's early fascination withNosferatuignited a passion for filmmaking that would shape his career. He became inspired by both Henrik Galeen's screenplay and Bram Stoker's 1897 novelDracula, and with high school classmate Ashley Kelly-Tata adapted the story for the stage, performing it at their school. Their production caught the eye of Edouard Langlois, who invited them to transfer it toNew York City'sEdwin Booth Theatre.Eggers stated that "[v]ampirism and Dracula is the thing that I've been thinking about and looking at for a long time". "I had readMontague Summersas a teenager, and many other authors of vampire lore, but I think, until I set out to makeNosferatu, I was still too contaminated by the cinematic tropes. And so, you're infusing things you're reading with cinematic tropes that aren't there. In doing the research to write this script, I needed to be disciplined to forget what I knew. And then, you start looking at the really early vampire accounts, and you're like, 'They're not even drinking blood, they're just strangling people, or suffocating people, or fucking them to death.' And that was really interesting."He also decided to let Orlok drink from the victims' chest instead of their neck, as old folklores often imagined vampires drinking blood from the chest right above the heart.
The character ofOrlokis partially inspired byVlad Dracula, the 15th-centuryVoivode of Wallachia, whom the original Dracula was named after.Eschewing the monstrous appearance of Murnau's Orlok or theAnglo-literaryvampire appearance, Eggers preferred the appearance of afolkvampire, claiming that "there's never been a version of Dracula orNosferatudressed like aTransylvaniannobleman with authenticHungarianattire from the 16th century." The count was written more like an undead corpse, instead of looking sexy or as an actual monster, an element from early vampire myths. Costume designerLinda Muirsought inspiration from the Transylvanian military from around 1560 to the mid-1600s, incorporating pieces of clothing such as dolman,mente (overcoat)|menteorkolpakinto Orlok's costume.Eggers explained that Orlok was given a mustashe because "there’s no way this guy can’t have a mustache". In old Transylvanian culture, all men who could grow a mustache, would have a mustache.According to prosthetic makeup effects designer David White, Orlok's physique was partially influenced byÖtzi, anatural mummydiscovered in 1991 in theÖtztal Alps: "[Eggers] really wanted the feeling of Orlok having had all life sucked from him, every last drop of blood."Conceptualizing Orlok as an ancient Romanian count, Eggers made the decision to have him speak a reconstructed form of theDacian languagein the film,whileRomanianandRomaniare spoken by other Transylvanian residents.The film also makes a nod to directorVictor Sjöström's silent classic,The Phantom Carriage(1921).Eggers also explored the work of French neurologistJean-Martin Charcotand his findings on so-calledhysteriaand took inspiration fromAndrzej Żuławski's filmsPossession(1981),The Devil(1972), andThe Third Part of the Night(1971).
In August 2017, actressAnya Taylor-Joywas cast, reteaming with Eggers afterThe Witch(2015);she was still attached to project in 2020, though her specific role had not been announced.Harry Styleshad been cast to star opposite Taylor-Joy,but dropped out of the project in 2021 citing scheduling concerns.
Eggers initially considered several talents to play the role of Count Orlok, includingDaniel Day-LewisandMads Mikkelsen.Finally, on September 30, 2022, it was announced that Swedish actorBill Skarsgårdwould star in the role of Count Orlok, whom Eggers had also had in mind for the film adaptation years earlier.However, before he was offered the role of the film's titular vampire, Skarsgård had originally auditioned for and been offered the role ofThomas Hutter. After many failed attempts to make the film, Skarsgard's portrayal ofPennywiseinIt(2017) andIt Chapter Two(2019) attracted popularity, aiding the recasting decision.The addition of actressLily-Rose Depp, replacing Anya Taylor-Joy, was also announced on September 30, 2022.Nicholas Houltwas in talks to join the cast after several negotiations to play Thomas Hutter on October 7, 2022.
Willem Dafoejoined the cast in January 2023, re-teaming with Eggers afterThe LighthouseandThe Northman(2022);Dafoe had not only previously portrayedMax Schreck/Count Orlok inShadow of the Vampire(2000), but had been slated to play the role again for Eggers.Emma Corrinwould join the cast the following month.Aaron Taylor-Johnson,Simon McBurney, andRalph Inesonwere announced as joining cast at the start of production in late February 2023.RomanianTikTokpersonality Bunica Gherghina was cast as the elderly lady at the Transylvanian inn.Additionally, the film features around 5,000 trainedrats.
Nosferatuwas shot on35mm filmin color by cinematographerJarin Blaschke, adopting a desaturated look using special filters.Principal photographybegan in the Czech Republic on February 20, 2023,with filming taking place atBarrandov StudiosinPragueby March.Later that month, the crew was shooting on location at the 14th-centuryRožmitál pod Třemšínem CastleinRožmitál pod Třemšínem,Pernštejn Castleand Prague'sInvalidovnacomplex, aBaroquebuilding registered as a national landmark.Some exterior shots were captured inCorvin Castlein Romania.Filming wrapped on May 19, 2023.
To prepare for playing Count Orlok, Skarsgård lost a significant amount of weight and, refusing to have his voice digitally modulated, worked with the Icelandic opera singerÁsgerður Júníusdóttirto lower his vocal range and character, incorporatingMongolian throat singinginto his lines,and spent up to six hours a day havingprosthetic makeupapplied. Skarsgård likened his experience to "conjuring pure evil".Hoult said he felt "real fear" when wolves on set had to be restrained before filming chase scenes with him.The film makes use of several custom-madeprops, some of which were kept by the actors after filming. Eggers gifted Depp the prop of Ellen's locket,and Hoult kept and framed Orlok's prosthetic penis worn by Skarsgård in the film.
The scene of Hutter's arrival in the Transylvanian village was captured in one take. The sequence is made up of nonprofessionalRomaniactors, musicians and dancers, and features an appearance by Czech musician and actorJordan Haj. Roughly 30 takes were filmed of what Eggers said was all "very carefully choreographed and rehearsed ahead of time in a warehouse in Prague". The village set was built outside of Prague, and was based on the crew's studies ofvernaculararchitecturemuseums in Romania and Transylvania.
The score is provided by British-Irish film composer and music producerRobin Carolan. Carolan made his film scoring debut in 2022, working with Eggers onthe soundtrack forThe Northman; onNosferatu, he intentionally moved away from the typical horror score, focusing on capturing the story's melancholic and tragic elements.He also credited his obsessive listening toSky Ferreira's 2019 single "Downhill Lullaby" for putting him "in a certain mood" for some of Ellen's scenes.
With "Goodbye" and "Increase thy Thunders", the first two pieces of music from the film were released byBack Lot Musicin late September 2024. The full soundtrack album with a total of 43 pieces of music is scheduled to be released on vinyl and two CDs bySacred Bones RecordsandWaxwork Records.At the helm as conductor is British-born Daniel Pioro.Carolan and Eggers struggled to perfect their sound, a process marked by their meticulous attention to detail, which Carolan describes as "almost telepathic".
Nosferatuhad itsworld premiereon December 2, 2024, at theZoo Palastcinema inBerlin, Germany.The film was released in the United States byFocus Featuresand internationally byUniversal Pictureson December 25, 2024.The film was shown inIMAX,as well as inDolby Cinema,and screened in 35mm in some theatres, includingGrauman's Chinese TheatreinCalifornia.The film was released on digital platforms on January 21, 2025.An extended version will be released later on Blu-ray.
As of February 13, 2025,Nosferatuhas grossed $95.5 million in the United States and Canada, and $81.1 million in other territories, for a worldwide gross of $176.6 million, making it Focus Features second highest grossing domestic release and fourth highest worldwide.
In the United States and Canada,Nosferatuwas released alongsideA Complete Unknown,Babygirl, andThe Fire Insideand was originally projected to gross around $25 million from 2,992 theaters in its five-day opening weekend.After making $11.55 million onits first dayand $7.6 million on its second, estimates were raised to $42 million. It went on to debut to $21.7 million in its opening weekend (and a total of $40.8 million over the five days), finishing in third behindSonic the Hedgehog 3andMufasa: The Lion King.In its second weekend, the film made $13.1 million, finishing third again.It made a respective $6.9 million and $4.1 million in its third and fourth weekends, dropping out of the box office top ten in its fifth after adding $2 million.
On thereview aggregatorwebsiteRotten Tomatoes, 85% of 331 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8/10. The website's consensus reads: "Marvelously orchestrated by director Robert Eggers,Nosferatuis a behemoth of a horror film that is equal parts repulsive and seductive."Metacritic, which uses aweighted average, assigned the film a score of 78 out of 100, based on 59 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.Audiences polled byCinemaScoregave the movie an average grade of "B–" on an A+ to F scale.
The Hollywood Reporter's David Rooney praised the direction, screenplay and performances, calling the film "exciting, repulsive and beautiful", and added that "It's thrilling to experience a movie so assured in the way it builds and sustains fear, so hypnotically scary as it grabs you by the throat and never lets go."IndieWire's David Ehrlich similarly praised the direction and singled out Depp's performance before stating that "like all of Eggers' films, of whichNosferatuis the richest and most fully realized, it draws a spellbinding power from the friction it finds between historical social mores and the eternal human thirsts they exist to keep in check."However, John Mulderig atCatholic Reviewnoted, "Film buffs will easily recognize that the atmospheric horror yarn 'Nosferatu' (Focus) is both a variation on and an homage to the eponymous 1922 ... foundational film[;] however, the newcomer is both artistically flawed and, ultimately, morally unbridled. ... [']Nosferatu' eventually goes off the ethical rails altogether as it moves toward a conclusion bogged down by the muddled metaphysics espoused by Von Franz.