Warning: The following contains spoilers for NosferatuIn Robert Eggers’Nosferatu, a number of characters are determined to take down Count Orlok, especially after he brings a deadly plague to the village and targets Ellen (Lily-Rose Depp) and her loved ones. It is also a remake of a silent film from over a century ago. Originally, the 1922Nosferatuwas bannedand almost disappeared completely, and this was because it was an unauthorizedDraculaadaptation. AlthoughRobert Eggers remadeNosferatuinstead of just adaptingDracula,Bram Stoker’s novel still has influence over the film, intentional or not.
For instance, Willem Dafoe’s occult enthusiast takes on a role slightly akin to that of Bram Stoker’s Van Helsing. While there are more than25 Dracula moviesdedicated to the titular vampire, Van Helsing has not had as many opportunities to shine in a solo feature, butNosferatuproves a Van Helsing film can captivate audiences.
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Robert Eggers' Nosferatu See Willem Dafoe and Nicholas Hoult As Vampire Hunters
InNosferatu,Willem Dafoe portrays Professor Albin Eberhart von Franz, a brilliant professor turned occult fanatic; although, with the arrival of Orlok, it’s clear his supernatural theories have some truth to them. He is the first person to validate Ellen about her claims about the Count, and his fanatic ravings about vampires are incredibly insightful for Count Orlok’s eventual demise.
Nosferatu: Why Bill Skarsgård’s Count Orlok Has A Mustache Explained By Director
Nosferatu director explains why it is historically accurate for Bill Skarsgård’s version of Count Orlok to have a mustache in Nosferatu.
While he is not a tough action hero like Hugh Jackman’s Van Helsing,the professor makes for a captivating vampire slayer. The empathy he has for Ellen, as well as his knowledge and passion for the occult, already make him stand out in a film full of skeptics. Along with that, he is not morally perfect, willing to go along with Ellen’s sacrifice because it’s for the greater good. He is also both a man of science and the occult, two fields that could have been in contention with each other, but that’s not the case for the professor.
All of these factors make Professor Albin Eberhart von Franz an interesting character and a unique monster hunter.Robert Eggers' stunningNosferaturemakehas a lot going for it, and his character is one of them. In fact, he is so compelling,it’s a wonder that his counterpart inDraculaisn’t seeing a resurgence like other Universal Monsters have received.
Universal Monsters Are Still In, So Why Not Van Helsing?
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The Universal Monsters have had a few rough patches, but they always come back around. Along with Epic Universe’s plans for a land dedicated to the classic monsters, there areseveral upcoming Universal Monster movies in the works, from a sequel toThe Invisible Manto anotherDraculafilm. However,there are no plans at the time of this writing to bring Van Helsing back to the big screen with his own film.
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Nosferatu star Willem Dafoe reflects on his own Oscar-nominated performance as the horrifying Count Orlok in 2000’s Shadow of the Vampire.
To be fair, 2004’sVan Helsingwas not received well by fans or critics, with a 24 percent critic score and 58 percent audience score onRotten Tomatoes. However, with the Universal Monsters still powering on, as well as Universal Picture’sNosferatureceiving significantly better reactions than the Jackman-ledVan Helsing,the character should not be shelved entirely.
Instead, approaching him from a different angle could serve him better, especially if Van Helsing is done more so in the vein ofNosferatu’s own occult enthusiast, Professor Eberhart von Franz. He does not need to be an action hero that runs on the rule of cool. Instead,Van Helsing can lean more into the gothic roots of his source material, Bram Stoker’sDracula. Perhaps the plannedDracularemake could introduce a version of this character that fits this description, but that would be difficult as this film is currently described as asci-fi Western take onDracula.
Nosferatu
Cast
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.
