Robert Eggers continues to tease his upcoming horror movieNosferatu, and two recent teases about Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgård) make his version a lot scarier than the original. 2024 has been a big year for cinema, with a variety of stories that have earned the praise of critics and general audiences. One of 2024’s most anticipated horror movies is Robert Eggers’Nosferatu, a remake of the 1922 German film of the same name by F. W. Murnau, which is an unofficial adaptation of Bram Stoker’s 1897 novelDracula.
Nosferatutells the story of Ellen Hutter (Lily-Rose Depp), a young woman married to Thomas Hutter (Nicholas Hoult), who is sent on a business trip to Transylvania to visit Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgård).Orlok is a vampire, and he becomes infatuated with Ellenafter seeing a photo of her. What follows is a tale of obsession and fear, as Orlok unleashes horror around Ellen and her loved ones. Neitherthe trailer forNosferatunor the official images have revealed Skarsgård’s appearance as Orlok, but Eggers continues to tease his physical appearance and how the movie will introduce him.
Nosferatu 2024’s Count Orlok Will Be More Like Folk Vampires (& Fits Eggers’ Style)
Don’t Expect A Good-Looking Vampire In Eggers’ Nosferatu
Robert Eggers had previously teased that his take onNosferatuwill end a decades-long vampire trendby not making Count Orlok a handsome vampire.Eggers described his version of Count Orlok as a “corpse”, saying the audience deserves a “scary, smelly corpse” vampire again. Speaking toVanity Fairin November 2024,Eggers further teased Count Orlok’s physical appearancewithout giving specific details about his face.Eggers said his Orlok is more of a folk vampire, meaning that he’s “a dead person.”
Because vampires aren’t technically alive (and fall more into the “undead” category), Eggers aimed to stay true to this often-forgotten part of vampire mythology. Eggers added that his Count Orlok looks the way he looks and dresses the way he does because he’s a dead Transylvanian nobleman, and he has to look as such.Eggers going for a folk vampire look for his take on Nosferatu is fitting with his styleand previous works, most notablyThe WitchandThe Northman. Both movies took inspiration from folk elements of different origins, which has become a big part of Eggers’ trademark filmmaking style.
Nosferatu 2024 Won’t Reveal Count Orlok Right Away – & That Makes It Scarier
Nosferatu Will Take Its Time To Reveal Count Orlok
If a folk vampire who looks like a corpse isn’t enough to make Eggers’Nosferaturemake scarier than the original, his plan for how Count Orlok will be revealed will surely do. In the same interview withVanity Fair, Eggers explained thatCount Orlok’s appearance is revealed gradually in the movie, as he’s following the logic of the character: Orlok is someone who doesn’t want his guests (in this case Thomas Hutter) to know he’s dead, so he’s hiding himself for as long as he can.
The audience will see Count Orlok’s full appearance at the same time as the characters, which, in a way, also makes the audience part of the story.
Eggers added that this will further increase the anticipation of the reveal, as the imagination is always stronger than what the filmmaker can do. Gradually revealing Count Orlok is what makes Eggers’Nosferatuscarier than the original movie, as the audience will see Count Orlok’s full appearance at the same time as the characters, which, in a way, also makes the audience part of the story.Relying on the audience’s imagination is a great trick to amp up suspense and fear, and it’s to be seen how rotten and disturbing 2024’s Count Orlok will really be.
Nosferatu
Nosferatu is a remake of the 1922 silent film of the same name from director F. W. Murnau. Robert Eggers is crafting his own version of the story for the reboot as writer and director, with Bill Skarsgård stepping into the shoes of Count Orlok. Nosferatu tells the tale of a young woman who falls victim to a vampire utterly infatuated with her.
