If you thinks that Krumpus is the worst kind of monster to see during the Christmas season, buddy, you are about to meet the nosferatu. Sorry, Nosferatu with a capital "N". And we are talking about the version by Robert Eggers, he of The Witch, The Lighthouse and The Northman.
Some context: not willing to spare coin to adapt Bram Stoker's Dracula for film, Prana Film produced an unauthorised version of it. The film was called Nosferatu, which is an archaic Romanian word "a suggested etymology of 'Nesuferitu', meaning 'the offensive one' or 'the insufferable one'. Many details from the book were changed (Dracula is now Count Orlok; the setting was shifted to Berlin; Van Helsing was renamed as Professor Bulwer) but it wasn't enough to deter the Stoker Estate from suing. Alas, Prana Film declared bankruptcy but Nosferatu was hailed by film scholars that has set the standard for the horror genre.
Even though Nosferatu entered the public domain in 2019, it didn't stop unofficial remakes from being produced even earlier. With a tenuous connection to the original via its title, Werner Herzog's Nosferatu the Vampyre starred Klaus Kinski as Count Dracula, not Count Orlok. There was even a remake by David Lee Fisher on Kickstarter starring Doug Jones. Robert Eggers' version is the only official remake to date.
It was announced that Bill Skarsgård (who's in, apparently, his goth phase) was cast as Count Orlok in Eggers' remake (very apt). Then it was followed by the news that Willem Dafoe was cast as well. There's a sort of poetry of Dafoe being in Nosferatu—Dafoe previously starred in Shadow of the Vampire, a fictionalised account of the filming Nosferatu, where Dafoe portrays Max Shreck (the actor who played Count Orlok) as an actual vampire.
For this overture, Dafoe will play Professor Albin Eberhart von Franz, whose name was changed from Professor Bulwer (who was based on Van Helsing in Stoker's Dracula).
At least, we saw a reason to create this.
Robert Eggers' Nosferatu also stars Nicholas Hoult; Lily-Rose Depp; Aaron Taylor-Johnson; Emma Corrin and Ralph Ineson. While the trailer doesn't show Count Orlok in all his horrifying glory, the feel of the teaser and the silhouette at the end conveyed all that's needed to tide us over for the full reveal.
Nosferatu will be released this Christmas.
Following nearly 16 years of development hell, The Crow is finally ready to seek vengeance once again. Based on James O'Barr's 1989 comic book series of the same name, the upcoming film was first announced in 2008. Various actors were in talks to lead over the years, including Bradley Cooper, Jason Momoa, Tom Hiddleston, and Luke Evans. Now, Rupert Sanders (Ghost in the Shell) will direct the film, which will star Bill Skarsgård and FKA Twigs.
Skarsgård will play Eric Draven, a murdered man who seeks to avenge the deaths of himself and his fiancėe (FKA Twigs). "A crow carries their soul to the land of the dead," the narrator says in the first trailer for the film. "But sometimes something so bad happens, that the soul cannot rest until you put the wrong things right." The trailer also shows the grittier and bloodier direction for The Crow. Danny Huston (Succession) plays the main villain. The Crow premieres in theatres on 7 June, 2024.
The original The Crow (1994) film was famously mired with tragedy. A prop gun disaster fatally wounded star Brandon Lee, the son of legendary action star Bruce Lee. Though Lee had already filmed most of his scenes, the rest of the movie was recut and edited with stunt doubles and digital effects. The Crow later went on to become a cult classic. It grossed USD94 million at the box office on a USD23-million budget. Three more The Crow films were subsequently released, including two direct-to-video sequels.
Though the upcoming reimagining of The Crow is technically the fifth film in the franchise, it marks the first time that the story of Eric Draven will be retold for a new audience. "I was a huge fan of the original film growing up as a kid and was so honored to take on the role of Eric Draven," Skarsgård said in the official press release for the new trailer. "But really what drew me to it was what Rupert Sanders wanted to do with it. He wanted to completely reimagine the story and the character and tailor it towards a modern audience... I felt a responsibility to Eric’s story and endeavored to stay true to the spirit of the source material."
Sanders hopes that the new film pays homage to Lee's iconic role. That and forging a new direction for the influential series. "What drew me to this was the opportunity to make a dark romance, something that dealt with loss, grief, and the ethereal veil between life and death and reaching through that," the director told Vanity Fair. "I grew up listening to Joy Division and The Cure, and this movie is a bit like a Cure song—the beauty of melancholy."
