Willem Dafoe in Talks to Join Robert Eggers’ ‘Nosferatu’, a Remake of the 1922 Classic Horror Film

Willem Dafoe in Talks to Join Robert Eggers’ ‘Nosferatu’, a Remake of the 1922 Classic Horror Film
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Robert Eggers and Willem Dafoe will reunite in the upcoming remake of the horror film Nosferatu. The director and actor collaborated in The Lighthouse, another horror movie that also stars The Batman actor Robert Pattinson.

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Willem Dafoe
Willem Dafoe

The cast for Nosferatu includes Lily Rose-Depp, Bill Skarsgard, and Nicholas Hoult. Eggers will pen the script, while Jeff Robinov, John Graham, Chris Columbus, and Eleanor Columbus will serve as producers.

RELATED: REVIEW: ‘The Lighthouse’ Is A Trippy, Disturbing Force To Be Reckoned With

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Robert Eggers Brings To Life Another Horror Remake Of Nosferatu

Nosferatu is a gothic tale that originally premiered in 1922. The story involves a young woman (Depp) from Germany and a creepy Transylvanian vampire named Count Orlok (Skarsgard), who will bring horror and bloodshed in his wake. The plot is indeed heavily inspired by Bram Stoker’s gothic novel Dracula. So far, Dafoe’s role has not been revealed, but given the actor’s history of playing villainous roles, fans could expect that he will portray a wicked character.

Willem Dafoe
Willem Dafoe

Willem Dafoe is known for playing a vampire in Shadow of the Vampire (2000), a horror comedy about the behind-the-scenes of the original Nosferatu, which earned him a Best Supporting Actor award.

Robert Eggers told IndieWire that it took him countless tries to bring the remake into action. The pandemic clearly hampered the project’s progress, to which the director commented:

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I’ve been trying so hard, and I just wonder if [director F.W.] Murnau’s ghost is telling me, like, you should stop.”

Egger’s Nosferatu would be the second remake of the classic horror film after Werner Herzog’s 1979 Nosferatu the Vampyre. The filmmaker has nothing but love and praise for the movie, but he also pointed out that it is lacking something.

The best sequence of that movie, for me, is getting to the castle with Das Rheingold, and I don’t even know if it makes sense in the film even though it’s awesome. But at the same time because of German history and German cinema history, it was his right to do that film, and he needed to do that film. I don’t know. Maybe Murnau’s telling me I don’t have the right.”

The original cast for the film included Harry Styles and Anya Taylor-Joy, but due to scheduling conflicts, they were dropped from the project.

RELATED: “I just had this really good feeling”: Anya Taylor-Joy Rejected Disney to Star in The Witch, Was Not Interested to Become a Disney Princess

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Willem Dafoe’s Upcoming Movies Prove Talent And Range

Willem Dafoe
Willem Dafoe

It seems that Willem Dafoe’s schedule will be packed with projects as Nosferatu is not the only movie where fans would see the actor. His other commitments include Vasilis Katsoupis’ Inside, Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City, Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things, Patricia Arquette’s Gonzo Girl, and Saverio Costanzo’s Finalmente l’alba.

Dafoe also recently starred in The Northman, Dead for a Dollar, Spider-Man: No Way Home, The Card Counter, and Nightmare Alley.

Source: Deadline, IndieWire

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RELATED: “Finally a real actor”: X-Men Star Nicholas Hoult Replaces Harry Styles in Robert Eggers’ ‘Nosferatu’, Fans Rejoice After Styles’ Atrocious Acting in ‘Don’t Worry Darling’

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Written by Ariane Cruz

Articles Published: 1940

Ariane Cruz, Senior Content Writer. She has been contributing articles for FandomWire since 2021, mostly covering stories about geek pop culture. With a degree in Communication Arts, she has an in-depth knowledge of print and broadcast journalism. Her other works can also be seen on Screen Rant and CBR.