MOVIE NEWS – Don’t hold your breath for fan fiction about Bill Skarsgård’s Count Orlok in the upcoming Nosferatu remake (although, knowing the internet, someone will likely try), because director Robert Eggers is on a mission to make vampires terrifying again. This isn’t just a catchy slogan—Eggers is diving deep into his gothic horror roots, bringing a fresh yet terrifying vision to the classic silent film Nosferatu. Over the years, pop culture has been flooded with attractive, seductive vampires. From Twilight and The Vampire Diaries to True Blood and Blade, these creatures of the night have been given an unexpected—and often unwanted—dose of sex appeal.

But Eggers is determined to change that, aiming to restore the fear and horror surrounding vampires in his Nosferatu remake, with Bill Skarsgård’s unsettling portrayal of Count Orlok at the center. Speaking to Total Film, Eggers said, “We’ve gone all the way to Edward Cullen, where vampires are not scary anymore.” His primary goal with this project is to “completely reverse that direction.”

Vampires have always been a unique part of folklore, largely because people once genuinely believed in their existence, and some still do. Eggers hopes that Skarsgård’s portrayal of Orlok will bring back the primal fear that vampires once instilled in people (even though none of us were around in the Middle Ages). He continued:

“Vampires used to be so feared that people would dig up corpses, dismember them, and burn them. It’s about time we returned to those terrifying roots and gave audiences a rotting, menacing vampire again.”

Bill Skarsgård Admits Count Orlok Has a Strange Kind of “Sex Appeal”

In Eggers’ Nosferatu, a modern take on the 1922 German Expressionist film, the plot centers on the growing obsession between Count Orlok and Ellen Hutter (played by Lily-Rose Depp), as the vampire leaves a trail of destruction in his wake. The star-studded cast also features Willem Dafoe, Emma Corrin, Nicholas Hoult, Ralph Ineson, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Simon McBurney, and Stacey Thunes.

Even though Eggers is focused on making vampires scary again, Skarsgård acknowledges that some fans may still find his character strangely attractive, despite the grotesque look. He commented on this peculiar attraction, saying, “There’s definitely a sexual element to it. It plays on the fetish of the monster’s power and the allure that comes with it. Hopefully, you’ll feel both drawn to it and repulsed by it at the same time.”

Fans are hoping that Nosferatu will continue Eggers’ streak of critically acclaimed films. After The Witch, The Lighthouse, and The Northman, the director has built a cult following. While others may spend Christmas relaxing with family dinners, Eggers’ dedicated gothic fans will be lining up at theaters when Nosferatu opens on December 25, 2024.

Source: MovieWeb