Director Robert Eggers has four feature films under his belt so far:The Witch,The Lighthouse,The Northman, and 2024’sNosferatu. While he has not been in the public eye as long as some other established directors, like Martin Scorsese, Ridley Scott, or Steven Spielberg, audiences are already getting a clear picture of the sorts of films that attract Eggers.
All four ofRobert Eggers' feature filmsare period pieces. They also all have a folklore-like quality to them, or they feel as if they could be a legend passed down from generation to generation. This is especially true forThe Northmanand theunanimously praisedNosferatu, asboth of these films are based on literary classics–HamletandDracula, respectively. However,neither are direct adaptationsfor a few reasons.
Nosferatu & The Northman Are Both Stealth Remakes of Classic Literature
Robert Eggers Adapts Dracula and Hamlet In Unconventional Ways
Robert Eggers' latest two films are both adaptations of classic literature; although,they are indirect adaptations to varying degrees.The Northmanhas a lot of similarities to William Shakespeare’sHamletfor good reason. It is not directly adapting the playHamletfor the big screen. Instead,The Northmanadapts theScandinavian legend of Amleth, the inspiration forHamlet.
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Instead of anotherHamletadaptation, Eggers delivers something different for the big screen by bringing the popular revenge story back around to its Scandinavian source, something that has been explored to a lesser extent on screen. While directly adapting the Amleth myth,the connections andcounterparts to Shakespeare’sHamletare still prominent inThe Northman.
As forNosferatu,it is technically an adaptation ofDracula, or at least, the original 1922 film is. However, that adaptation was unauthorized, asPlagiarism Todayreports. The producers behind the originalNosferatuwanted to adaptDraculabut could not obtain the rights to it. This couldn’t stop the production, and the filmmakers made a few changes from the source material to work around their copyright problem.
This attempt was unsuccessful, as it was clear to the Bram Stoker Estate and the German courts thatNosferatuwas adapting Dracula illegally, thus leading to the destruction of almost every copy of the film. One copy escaped this fate and made it stateside, keepingNosferatualive, thus serving as the inspiration for the 2024 remake by Eggers, which industry professionals like Fede Àlvarez areproclaiming is the"horror movie of the year."
Will Nosferatu Be as Authentic to the Source Material as The Northman?
Robert Egger’s Two Recent Films Are Indirect Adaptations
The Northmanmay have its differences fromHamlet, but that is becauseit is directly adapting the source material that inspiredHamlet, not the play itself. The difficult thing about adapting a legend that goes back to Medieval times is the fact there can be multiple iterations of said legend, so more liberties can be taken.
Nosferatu Remake Rating Continues Robert Eggers' Career Trend
The rating for the 2024 Nosferatu remake has been revealed, and the reasons for its rating are sure to cause excitement for fans of the horror genre.
Nosferatu, on the other hand, is based on a more concrete source material.The originalNosferatuillegally adaptedDracula, which, at the time, had one definitive iteration, the novel. While some changes were made, the originalNosferatuis close enough to the source material that it could not escape its legal troubles over copyright.
Robert Egger’s Count Orlok may also be scarier than the original.
With Robert Eggers’Nosferaturemaking the 1922 film, its foundation is inherently more rooted in a definitive source, whileThe Northmantakes on the challenge of adapting the legend behind one of the most well-known literary classics. Furthermore, withDraculanow being public domain,2024’sNosferatucould be more faithful toDraculathan the original.Robert Egger’s Count Orlok may also be scarierthan the original, but only time will tell when the movie comes out in Christmas 2024.
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.
