Director Robert Eggers (The Lighthouse & The Northman) made a name for himself with The Witch, a film that most directors would be proud to have on their résumé, especially as their first feature-length production.
In the same vein, as artists in any discipline are often especially critical of their earlier work, Eggers also admitted that he did not want to watch this 2015 horror movie. The Witch, the full-length feature debut of the New York City-born director, turned out to be one of his incredible works. The story revolved around a family of New England Puritans in the 1630s.
After receiving positive reviews from critics and grossing $40 million, the film went on to become a critical and commercial success. Nonetheless, Eggers is the one who is unable to stand the movie, which starred Anya Taylor-Joy, Ralph Ineson, and Kate Dickie.
Robert Eggers’ Candid Confession on The Witch: He Can’t Stand His First Film
Rober Eggers’ not-so-sweet remarks about his own first film, The Witch, which told the tale of a Puritan family in 1630s New England facing supernatural forces in the woods, may definitely surprise viewers.
After all, the movie received accolades for its superb acting, intensely detailed historical realism, and atmospheric suspense. The movie currently holds an astounding 90% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Did we also mention Anya Taylor-Joy was cast in the leading role of Thomasin, for which she earned a nomination for the Gotham Awards?
In 2022, Eggers said in an interview with The Guardian that he could not stand his breakthrough film, The Witch:
“Honestly, I can’t stand watching The Witch now. It’s not that it’s bad, and the performances are great, but I was not skilled enough as a filmmaker to get what was in my brain on to the screen.”
However, the filmmaker believed that The Lighthouse, his 2019 release, was the closest to attaining the gritty tone he was seeking:
“In ‘The Lighthouse,’ I was able to do that.”
In addition, he spoke about his third movie, expressing his “proud” sentiment towards it:
“And ‘The Northman,’ I’m proud of the movie, but not everything is quite what I hoped it would be.”
Despite having a $4 million budget, the film managed to earn $40 million and gain positive reviews (see Box Office Mozo). The movie, according to The Washington Post, is “a tribute to a filmmaker who, despite his newcomer status, seems to have arrived in the full throes of maturity, in full control of his prodigious powers”.
Meanwhile, the movie was described as “a triumph of tone” by The Time. With a weighted average score of 84 out of 100, Metacritic described it as receiving “universal acclaim”.
Eggers and Taylor-Joy have teamed up again for The Northman, a Viking revenge epic that was heavily influenced by Norse mythology (see CBR).
Nosferatu: Robert Eggers’ Fourth Film Is Set For Release In Late 2024
The fourth film by Robert Eggers is a remake of the 1922 German Expressionist film, which is an unofficial adaptation of Bram Stoker’s novel, Dracula, published in 1897. Starring Bill Skarsgård as Count Orlok, Lily-Rose Depp as Ellen Hutter, Nicholas Hoult as Thomas Hutter, Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Friedrich Harding, and Ralph Ineson as Dr. Wilhelm Sievers, Nosferatu is distributed by Focus Features.
Focus Features revealed last year that the Nosferatu will be released on Christmas Day of this year (December 25, 2024). Peter Kujawski, the chairman of the American independent film production & distribution company, revealed the following information at the time about the movie’s December release date:
“The audacious filmmaking of Robert Eggers is always a gift for fans, and we can promise that his Nosferatu is planning quite the Christmas feast.”
Eggers has been toying with this project since 2015, as reported by Collider. With just The Witch under his belt at the time, he felt that he had not yet made a name for himself as a filmmaker. Since then, he has directed The Lighthouse and 2022’s The Northman.
Nosferatu, a co-production between Studio 8 and Maiden Voyage Pictures, is arriving in theaters on December 25, 2024.
Also, The Witch is streaming on Max.
