Bill Skarsgård, Lily Rose-Depp to Star In Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu

Nosferatu is set to rise again under Robert Eggers’ direction, with Bill Skarsgård and Lily Rose-Depp set to star. Deadline reports that Reggers’ long-planned reimagining of the classic horror film is moving forward with Skarsgård set to play Count Orlock and Depp in talks to co-star.

Anya Taylor-Joy was originally loosely attached to star alongside Skarsgård, but scheduling conflicts made that impossible. Deep emerged as Eggers’ top choice after Taylor-Joy exited.

The film will follow the original plot, and will be a “gothic tale of obsession” in which a haunted young woman is stalked by the vampiric Orlock. Nosferatu is a classic of the horror genre and the first adaptation of Dracula, albeit an illegal one. The F. W. Murnau-directed film starred Max Schreck as Orlock and was nearly lost after the Stoker estate sued and won, with a court ruling requiring that all copies be destroyed. However, at least one print survived and the film has since been considered a cinematic masterpiece.