The horror movie genre is as old as the advent of filmmaking. As long as people have been making movies, they have used the medium to utterly terrify audiences. The early years of filmmaking are marked by some of the creepiest silent films ever created, and few have ever matched the terror induced by F.W. Murnau's Nosferatu. Now it seems that The Witch's Robert Eggers will soon take a crack at the classic horror story.
During a recent appearance on the Filmmaker Toolkit podcast (via Collider), Robert Eggers officially revealed that he has been tapped to tackle a remake of Nosferatu as his next big project. The remake has actually been in development for quite some time, and although Eggers had not initially intended on taking the project in the near future, he felt compelled to do it in order to ensure that another filmmaker wouldn't mishandle the material. Speaking out about the project, Eggers admitted a deep-seated love for the original Nosferatu, and he intends to do something different with the material -- something that will not impede upon the work done by F.W. Murnau and Max Schreck.
As far as modern directors go, there honestly might not be a better choice for a Nosferatu remake than Robert Eggers. Whether you loved The Witch or absolutely hated it (it was a truly divisive horror movie) it's impossible deny that he brought an old-fashioned filmmaking sensibility to this year's horror hit. He has a knack for slow pacing, restraint, and insanely creepy visuals -- all of which are vital for a recreation of this classic German expressionist horror movie.
The production and release of Nosferatu has become utterly legendary over the years. In particular, Max Schreck's performance as the evil Count Orlok has become known as one of the most terrifying horror movie performances of all time. His work as the fictional vampire has become so iconic for its otherworldly creepiness that Willem Dafoe even played the role of Schrek playing Orlok on the 2000 film Shadow of the Vampire -- which imaged Schrek as a real Dracula.
There's arguably no better time for a remake of a movie like Nosferatu to hit cinemas. Horror has experienced a total renaissance over the course of the last few years, and it seems like we've reached a climate where an eerie, slow-paced vampire movie like this could make a serious impression on audiences. We seem to have moved passed gore and torture porn to the point where horror fans once again care about atmosphere.
CinemaBlend will bring you any and all relevant updates related to the upcoming Nosferatu remake (as well as Robert Eggers' involvement in the project) as more information becomes available to us. The upcoming horror remake does not have an official release date yet. Stay tuned for more terrifying details!
