The
project was initiated in 2015 when Eggers envisioned it as his second feature.
Though he described it as a labor of love, production was postponed for several
years. By September 2022, Skarsgård and Depp had been officially cast.
Principal photography took place mainly at Barrandov Studios in Prague from
February to May 2023.
*Nosferatu*
premiered at the Berlin Film Festival on December 2, 2024, and was released in
U.S. theaters by Focus Features and internationally by Universal Pictures on
December 25. Critics responded favorably to the film, marking it as Eggers’s
most commercially successful work to date. At the 97th Academy Awards, it
received nominations for Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best
Production Design, and Best Makeup and Hairstyling.
Set
in the early 1800s, the narrative begins with a young girl named Ellen, who
calls out for a supernatural entity to alleviate her loneliness. Her pleas
awaken a mysterious creature that entices her into an eternal pledge and
ultimately violates her.
By
1838, Ellen is married to Thomas Hutter, and they reside in the German town of
Wisburg. Thomas accepts a lucrative offer from his employer, Herr Knock, to
sell the dilapidated Grünewald Manor to the enigmatic Count Orlok. Despite
experiencing a disturbing yet tantalizing dream about marrying Death, Ellen
pleads for Thomas to remain, but he departs, leaving her in the care of his
affluent friend Friedrich Harding and his family.
Upon
reaching the Carpathians in Transylvania, Thomas finds himself shunned by
locals who warn him against visiting Orlok. After paying a premium for lodging,
he witnesses a group of Roma exhuming a supposed vampire's corpse, which they
stake, causing it to bleed. The next morning, he discovers the village deserted
and his horse missing. He continues on foot until he finds himself in an eerie
carriage heading toward Orlok's castle.
During
their unsettling encounter, Orlok compels Thomas to finalize the sale of the
property while demonstrating his supernatural powers that unsettle Thomas. An
accidental injury during dinner leaves Thomas with bite marks on his chest
after he loses consciousness. The following night, Orlok demands Thomas'
locket, containing a lock of Ellen's hair, and refuses to return it. He then
coerces Thomas into signing a document written in arcane script, ostensibly a
contract for the estate. As Thomas's health deteriorates, he attempts to flee
but only finds himself in a crypt facing the Count, who is grotesquely decayed.
An attack with a pickaxe fails, prompting Orlok to chase him. Thomas narrowly
escapes by falling into a river and is rescued by Eastern Orthodox nuns, who
inform him of Orlok's dark past as a solomonar turned vampire through a pact
with the Devil. Meanwhile, Orlok embarks for Wisburg, traveling in his coffin
with plague-infested rats, decimating the crew aboard.
Dr.
Wilhelm Sievers, unable to treat Ellen's recurring sleepwalking and seizures,
reaches out to Albin Eberhart von Franz, his former mentor, an outcast Swiss
scientist with occult affiliations. Von Franz posits that Ellen is under the
influence of the Nosferatu, a demonic vampire responsible for spreading the
plague. Knock, in a breakdown after his encounters, is institutionalized
following a grisly act of cannibalism.
As
Thomas returns to Wisburg, he finds the town ravaged by Orlok's plague. Knock
escapes confinement, leads Orlok to Grünewald Manor, and reveals to Ellen that
their bond is eternal but twisted by Orlok's hunger. The contract Orlok tricked
Thomas into signing nullifies their marriage, and Orlok demands Ellen submit to
him willingly within three nights or else condemn Thomas and unleash the plague
on the town. Ellen confesses her traumatic past with Orlok to Thomas, leading
to a disturbed intimacy between them. In retaliation, Orlok slaughters Anna and
her children, while grief-stricken Friedrich succumbs to the plague amidst his
despair.
Research
by von Franz points to the possibility of defeating the Nosferatu through a
willing sacrifice by a pure maiden. Aware that only she can halt the plague,
Ellen collaborates with von Franz to keep Thomas from interfering. Thomas, von
Franz, and Sievers venture to Grünewald Manor, where they inadvertently kill
Knock while finding him in Orlok's resting place. Realizing the betrayal,
Thomas rushes to save Ellen just as von Franz destroys Orlok's coffin. Ellen,
resolute in her decision, calls Orlok to her chamber and willingly offers
herself to him, enabling him to feed until dawn. As sunlight streams in, Orlok
is vanquished. Thomas holds Ellen's hand as she passes away, with von Franz
confirming that her selfless sacrifice has liberated them from the curse of the
Nosferatu.
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