Director Robert Eggers recently opened up about his passion project, Nosferatu, sharing how his fascination with the classic horror film has shaped his filmmaking journey. In an interview with IndieWire, Eggers reflected on his deep-rooted obsession with the story and his process of adapting it from the iconic 1922 German horror film.
Eggers revealed that his love for horror began in childhood, despite not being able to handle intense horror films at the time. He recalled being haunted by a terrifying monster as a kid, which sparked his lifelong interest in the genre. “I saw a picture of Max Schreck as Count Orlok in a book in my elementary school, and I lost my mind,” he shared, adding that his mother went to great lengths to find a VHS copy of Nosferatu for him in their home state of New Hampshire. His fascination only grew stronger when he attended a stage performance of Nosferatu in high school, cementing his dream of one day bringing the story to life on the big screen.
After making his directorial debut with The Witch in 2016, Eggers considered tackling Nosferatu but ultimately chose to wait. “[It’s shocking] to me. It feels ugly and blasphemous and egomaniacal and disgusting for a filmmaker in my place to do Nosferatu next,” he admitted, explaining that he didn’t feel ready for such an ambitious project at the time. He believed he needed more experience and credibility before taking on the challenge.
Reflecting on his growth as a director, Eggers acknowledged that working on The Lighthouse and The Northman taught him invaluable lessons about filmmaking. While he was proud of The Witch, he felt limited in fully realizing his vision. With The Northman, he faced the opposite challenge—the sheer scale and complexity of the production made it difficult to execute exactly as he had envisioned.
However, those experiences gave him the confidence and skills necessary to finally take on Nosferatu. “That gave me the tools to finally feel confident as a director, so it was nice going into Nosferatu with that feeling,” Eggers shared. Now, after years of preparation and honing his craft, he is ready to bring his own version of the legendary vampire tale to life.
