The first trailer for Robert Eggers’ remake of Nosferatu is out now, and here’s how the cast of the 2024 Nosferatu compares to the original 1922 movie. 1922’s Nosferatu is considered to be one of the earliest and best horror films of all time, with it adapting the story of Dracula to the big screen. The legacy of Nosferatu has lived on for over 100 years now, and while there have been other remakes, Robert Eggers is in line to direct the next one. Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu features an all-new cast playing these classic characters, and here’s who they are.
F.W. Murnau’s 1922 film Nosferatu was a historic film, with it defining the German Expressionist movement and establishing many of the common tropes seen in film vampires. Despite wanting to adapt the story of Dracula, Murnau didn’t have the rights, leading to him making changes to names and characters in an attempt to safely make Nosferatu. The film has become a landmark of cinema in the years since its release, and now the trailer for Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu remake shows that he is taking a swing at the story of Count Orlok.
|
Character |
1922 Actor |
2024 Actor |
|---|---|---|
|
Count Orlok |
Max Schreck |
Bill Skarsgård |
|
Thomas Hutter |
Gustav von Wangenheim |
Nicholas Hoult |
|
Ellen Hutter |
Greta Schröder |
Lily-Rose Depp |
|
Friedrich Harding |
Georg H. Schnell |
Aaron Taylor-Johnson |
|
Anna Harding |
Ruth Landshoff |
Emma Corrin |
|
Dr. Wilhelm Sievers |
Gustav Botz |
Ralph Ineson |
|
Herr Knock |
Alexander Granach |
Simon McBurney |
|
Prof. Albin Eberhart Von Franz |
John Gottwot |
Willem Dafoe |
8 Count Orlok
Bill Skarsgård
Despite commonly being referred to as Nosferatu, the antagonist of the 1922 film and its various remakes is actually the wealthy vampire, Count Orlok. In fact, the word “nosferatu” was actually used in writings like the original Dracula as a Romanian word that refers to vampires, creating the association between the story and the term. In the story, Count Orlok lives in a castle in Transylvania, with real estate salesman Thomas Hutter traveling there in order to sell him some land. Orlok then becomes fascinated with Hutter’s wife, takes over a ship, and travels to the German town of Wisborg.
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Count Orlok was played by actor Max Schreck in the 1922 original film, with the actor giving the vampire his iconic look. In Robert Eggers’ 2024 Nosferatu remake, Orlok is played by Bill Skarsgård, famous for his performances in movies like It and Barbarian. The first trailer for Eggers’ Nosferatu remake constantly teases the presence of Count Orlok, but the character is only shown from behind, with the movie most likely keeping its take on Max Schreck’s iconic appearance secret until the remake releases.
7 Thomas Hutter
Nicholas Hoult
Thomas Hutter is the protagonist of Nosferatu, with him being a real estate salesman who is sent to Transylvania in order to sell Count Orlok some land in Germany. Upon his arrival, Hutter is warned of Orlok’s powers by the Romanian people, although the eager salesman ignores their pleas and heads on to Orlok’s castle. However, Hutter soon learns of Orlok’s nefarious true nature as a vampire, with Orlok trapping him in the castle and heading off to Germany. Eventually, Hutter makes his way back to Germany, racing home in an attempt to save his wife from Orlok.
Thomas Hutter was played by actor Gustav von Wangenheim in the 1922 original Nosferatu, with this character being based on the Dracula character Jonathan Harker. The character is once again named Thomas Hutter in Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu remake, with him this time being played by The Menu and Mad Max: Fury Road actor Nicholas Hoult. Hutter will most likely play a similar role in Robert Eggers’ 2024 remake, with him being the first German to meet Orlok and accidentally sending the vampire on his way to the country.
6 Ellen Hutter
Lily-Rose Depp
In the original Nosferatu, Ellen Hutter is the wife of the real estate agent Thomas Hutter, with her being one of the most important characters in the film. While Thomas is in Transylvania, Orlok sees a picture of Ellen that Thomas has, with him becoming fascinated with her neck and heading off to Germany in order to find her. Thomas manages to warn Ellen of Orlok’s arrival through letters, with her discovering that she can defeat him. Ellen decides to distract Orlok, allowing him to drink her own blood until he is lit by the sun and dies.
Ellen Hutter is played by actress Greta Schröder in F.W. Murnau’s 1922 Nosferatu, with her being based on the character of Mina Harker from the original Dracula novel. In Robert Eggers’ 2024 Nosferatu remake, however, Ellen Hutter is played by Lily-Rose Depp, with her bringing a new take on the classic horror character. Ellen seems to get a lot of focus in Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu trailer, hinting that she may play a more significant role in the upcoming remake of the film.
5 Friedrich Harding
Aaron Taylor-Johnson
Although Orlok, Thomas, and Ellen are incredibly similar to their counterparts in the original Nosferatu, the character of Friedrich Harding is where Robert Eggers’ remake starts to depart, with him actually having a slightly different name than the character he is based on. In 1922’s Nosferatu, Harding’s counterpart is actually a character simply named Shipowner Harding. In the film, Harding is a friend of Ellen Hutter, with him noticing her odd behaviors upon Orlok’s arrival in Germany.
In the original Nosferatu, Friedrich Harding is played by Georg H. Schnell, with this being one of the actor’s most famous films. However, Eggers’ Nosferatu remake has cast Aaron Taylor-Johnson as the character, signaling that Harding may have a bigger role in the upcoming movie. Interestingly the character of Fredrich Harding is actually based on a Dracula character named Arthur Holmwood, with him having a comparatively bigger role. In Dracula, Holmwood actively helps in the hunt for the vampires, something that isn’t represented as much in Nosferatu.
4 Anna Harding
Emma Corrin
Anna Harding is another character who has undergone significant changes in Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu remake, with her original movie and Dracula counterparts being incredibly different. Anna Harding is the wife of Friedrich Harding and another friend of Ellen’s. In the original Nosferatu, the character is simply named Ruth, with her role in the film being minimized. In the original Dracula, however, Anna Harding is a character named Lucy Westenra, with her being turned into a vampire by the titular vampire.
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In the original Nosferatu, Anna Harding’s counterpart Ruth was played by Ruth Landshoff. However, Anna Harding will be played by Emma Corrin in Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu remake, with them being famous for their roles in movies like Deadpool & Wolverine. It is possible that Anna Harding’s role could also be expanded in the remake, shedding more light on this underdeveloped character.
3 Dr. Wilhelm Sievers
Ralph Ineson
Dr. Wilhelm Sievers is another character who appeared in the original Nosferatu, with the character returning for Robert Eggers’ upcoming remake. In the original film, Dr. Wilhelm Sievers is the head of the mental hospital in Wisborg, a location that plays a major role in the film’s story. Sievers is around for several of the scenes that are set in the mental hospital, with him and the other doctors attempting to figure out what happened to Knock.
In the 1922 original Nosferatu, Dr. Sievers is played by actor Gustav Botz. However, Robert Eggers’ 2024 Nosferatu remake has cast beloved English actor Ralph Ineson as the character, with him being known for his roles in projects like The Witch, The Green Knight, and the Harry Potter movie series. It is possible that the casting of a major actor like Ineson could signal that his role in the Nosferatu remake will be expanded, fleshing out the original movie character even further.
2 Herr Knock
Simon McBurney
Herr Knock is a secondary antagonist in the 1922 Nosferatu movie, with him being a version of the iconic Dracula character Renfield. In Nosferatu, Knock is the real estate agent who sends Thomas Hutter to Transylvania in order to deal with Count Orlok. However, when Orlok makes his way to Germany, he brainwashes the villain and turns him into his servant. Knock is then admitted into the mental hospital, where he still attempts to carry out Orlok’s will from behind bars.
In the original Nosferatu, Herr Knock is played by actor Alexander Granach, with his iconic performance having a huge influence on every version of Renfield that came after. However, in Robert Eggers’ 2024 Nosferatu remake, Knock will be played by The Manchurian Candidate and Harry Potter actor Simon McBurney.
1 Prof. Albin Eberhart Von Franz
Willem Dafoe
The final and possibly most interesting addition to Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu remake is Prof. Albin Eberhart Von Franz. In Nosferatu, the character is a metaphysician who has expertise in the occult and the supernatural, with him having knowledge of how vampires work and how to defeat him. The character is only named Bulwer in the original Nosferatu, but he is based on the immensely popular Dracula character Abraham Van Helsing.
In the original Nosferatu, the Prof. Albin Eberhart Von Franz counterpart Bulwer is played by the actor John Gottwot. However, Robert Eggers has cast iconic movie actor Willem Dafoe as the character, with him being one of the most eccentric parts of the trailer. Dafoe will undoubtedly do justice to the classic Nosferatu and Dracula characters, with the film possibly reinstating the character’s massive role in defeating Dracula. However, further changes will remain unknown until the release of Robert Eggers’ highly anticipated remake of Nosferatu.
How The Directors Of Both Nosferatu Movies Compare
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It is exciting to see these talented actors bring the characters of Nosferatu to life, but the filmmakers behind the two versions of the movie are worth exploring as well. The 1922 version of Nosferatu was helmed by German director F. W. Murnau, marking his first major release after starting his filmmaking career in 1919 after serving in World War I. Though Nosferatu was not a commercial success, it became one of the earliest examples of a cult movie and helped launch Murnau’s directing career in Hollywood.
Murnau was celebrated as one of the most influential filmmakers of the silent movie era and his subsequent movie Sunrise won the now-defunct category of Best Unique and Artistic Picture at the very first Oscars ceremony. The filmmaker helped create innovative filmmaking techniques, such as the POV shot and tracking shots. Murnau died in a car accident in 1931 at the age of 42, and while he made 21 movies in his career, nine of them have unfortunately been completely lost.
Robert Eggers, the director of the 2024 version of Nosferatu, has admitted the original movie was one of the movies that most influenced him as a filmmaker. Eggers’ career became as a designer and director of plays before making his directorial debut in the stylistic horror The Witch. The surprise success of that movie led to him helming The Lighthouse with Robert Pattison and Willem Dafoe. From there, Eggers took on his first big-budget movie with the brutal Viking thriller The Northman. Nosferatu marks Eggers’ fourth movie as a director.
It is not hard to see the German Expressionistic influences in Eggers’ dark work. He has the ability to warp reality in his movies and deal with the surreal while also being known for his incredibly authentic and detailed period movies. Nosferatu has been a passion project for Eggers for a number of years and it will be interesting to see how he combines his love of the original with his own take on the story.
Nosferatu (2024) HorrorFantasyMystery
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.
Director Robert Eggers Release Date December 25, 2024 Studio(s) Regency Enterprises , 1492 Pictures Distributor(s) Focus Features , Universal Pictures Writers Robert Eggers Cast Bill Skarsgard , Lily-Rose Depp , Nicholas Hoult , Willem Dafoe , Aaron Taylor-Johnson , Emma Corrin , Simon McBurney , Ralph Ineson , Paul Maynard , Stacy Thunes Expand