A new shadow creeps across the silver screen as visionary director Robert Eggers resurrects Nosferatu—his most personal film yet. “In many ways, my adaptation of Nosferatu is my most personal film. A story, not engendered by me, but one that I have lived with, within, and dreamed about since childhood. I often felt I had the same un-jaded creative spark of a first time filmmaker when finally making the film because of the years of thought I have put into it. I feel more fortunate than ever to have had the chance to make it with my trusted team of long-time collaborators,” Eggers shares. With an unrelenting passion for gothic horror and folklore, he breathes new life into the legendary vampire, crafting a tale that is both chilling and deeply emotional.

A Return to True Terror

Forget the suave, dinner-jacketed vampires of modern pop culture—Eggers reaches back to the roots of ancient folklore, where the vampire was a harbinger of disease, death, and primal fear. “The folk vampire is not a suave dinner-coat-wearing seducer, nor a sparkling, brooding hero. The folk vampire embodies disease, death, and sex in a base, brutal, and unforgiving way. This is the vampire I wanted to exhume for a modern audience,” he explains.

Set in the mist-laden town of Wisburg, Germany, the story follows Ellen (Lily-Rose Depp), a young woman plagued by visions of an ancient, nightmarish entity—Nosferatu (Bill Skarsgård). As his obsession tightens around her, the town descends into terror, spiraling into a darkness from which few may escape.

A Tale That Took Decades to Make

Eggers’ obsession with Nosferatu began in childhood when he fell under the spell of F.W. Murnau’s 1922 silent classic, Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror. He first attempted an adaptation in high school, but the dream of making it lingered for decades. After crafting horror masterpieces like The Witch and The Lighthouse, he finally returned to his passion project.

“As an evolution of the story, the thing that is most significant is that this is Ellen’s film.  She is a victim not only of the vampire, but of nineteenth century society,” says Eggers.

Lily-Rose Depp: A Star Meant for Horror

Finding the perfect Ellen was crucial. According to Eggers, Lily-Rose Depp’s audition was so powerful that everyone in the room was moved to tears. “Her audition was so strong.  I was crying, the casting director was crying, the videographer was crying.  It was clear she was going to be powerful as this character,” Eggers recalls.

For Depp, the film’s horror stems from its unsettling realism. “There’s something about this script and this movie that feels very real, visceral, and human, which is interesting because we’re talking about demons, and ghosts, and this other realm.  That’s what I think is the scariest part about the movie: just how real the nightmares are,” says Depp.

Prepare for Pure Horror

A haunting blend of gothic horror and psychological depth, Nosferatu promises to grip audiences with its eerie atmosphere and unrelenting dread.

The horror unfolds in Philippine cinemas starting February 26. Follow Universal Pictures PH in Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok for exclusive updates.