Bill Skarsgård has made his own empire in the horror genre. Being a part of some of the most talked about projects in recent times, starting this journey through playing the role of Roman Godfrey in the horror series, Hemlock Grove, then playing the memorable role of Pennywise the Clown in the classic, IT, and most recently, playing the role of Keith in Barbarian, a film that took the internet by storm. Then there is Lily-Rose Depp, lying on the opposite end of this spectrum, known for her work in The Idol, Voyagers, and The King, all projects that are as far away as you can get from the horror genre.
Despite this, the two are set together in the adaptation of the 1922 film, Nosferatu, made by F. W. Murnau. Being a classic when it comes to gothic vampire films, and horror films in general, the film helped create a sub-genre of cinema that helped create and inspire an entire community of people. This means that the director of the 2024 adaptation, Robert Eggers has some very big shoes to fill. However, as recent updates suggest, he seems to be having no problem with this, thanks to Depp and Skarsgård.
Lily-Rose Depp’s Character Will Be Front And Centre
Robert Eggers is a highly respected and critically acclaimed filmmaker known for masterpieces like The Lighthouse, The Northman, and The Witch. Through works like this, he has gained a reputation for being extremely good at what he does which has led him to become the filmmaker on one of the most anticipated films of 2024, Nosferatu. During an interview with Empire, he talked about exactly this, sharing behind-the-scenes information as well as what to expect from this project. He started by clarifying that even though this film has vampires in it, it does not fall into the category of fantasy.
“Yeah, it’s a scary film. It’s a horror movie. It’s a Gothic horror movie,” he tells “And I do think that there hasn’t been an old-school Gothic movie that’s actually scary in a while. And I think that the majority of audiences will find this one to be the case.” he added, “It’s even more Ellen’s story than previous versions,” teases Eggers. “And Lily-Rose is absolutely phenomenal.”
He explained that it was a horror film through and through and possessed very heavy elements of Gothic horror, something the original is known for. He then talked about the actors, putting his focus on Lily-Rose Depp. He stated that the decision to cast her in the role of Ellen Hutter was exceptionally done. He elaborated on why he feels this way, saying that is amazing in her performance of this character. He also talked about what was different about Hutter compared to the original and the adaptation, stating that the story will show great focus on her in general.
Robert Eggers Adores Bill Skarsgård’s Performance In This Film
Robert Eggers then went on to talk about Bill Skarsgård’s performance in this as Count Orlock. He stated that the actor has sunk into this role so well that he fears that he will not get the recognition that he deserves for this role. The filmmaker then went on to talk about how the actor was trying to honor those who came before him in the most subtle ways possible.
“I’ll say that Bill has so transformed, I’m fearful that he might not get the credit that he deserves because he’s just… he’s not there,” he added “He felt like honouring who had come before him. It’s all very subtle,” Eggers explains. “But I think the main thing is that he’s even more a folk vampire. In my opinion he looks like a dead Transylvanian nobleman, and in a way that we’ve never actually seen what an actual dead Transylvanian nobleman would look like and be dressed like.”
Speaking more highly about his performance, Eggers mentioned that Skarsgård was so good in this role that he actually looked like he was playing a folk vampire. Calling him a dead Transylvanian nobleman, the filmmaker stated that he played this essence so well that all that have tried to play something similar would not be able to come close to the standard he set.
