Nosferatu: Aaron Taylor-Johnson joins Robert Eggers remake

Bullet Train‘s Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who may be the frontrunner to be the next James Bond, has joined the cast of writer/director Robert Eggers‘ remake of F.W. Murnau’s 1922 silent classic Nosferatu (watch that HERE), Deadline reports. Details on the character Taylor-Johnson will be playing in the film have not been revealed.

Taylor-Johnson’s Nosferatu co-stars include Lily-Rose Depp (Yoga Hosers), Nicholas Hoult (The Menu), Emma Corrin (The Crown), and Willem Dafoe (Spider-Man: No Way Home), with Bill Skarsgard (It) taking on the role of the title character.

An unofficial adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, the original Nosferatu has the following synopsis: In this highly influential silent horror film, the mysterious Count Orlok (Max Schreck) summons Thomas Hutter (Gustav von Wangenheim) to his remote Transylvanian castle in the mountains. The eerie Orlok seeks to buy a house near Hutter and his wife, Ellen (Greta Schroeder). After Orlok reveals his vampire nature, Hutter struggles to escape the castle, knowing that Ellen is in grave danger. Meanwhile Orlok’s servant, Knock (Alexander Granach), prepares for his master to arrive at his new home.

Eggers’ Nosferatu is a gothic tale of obsession between a haunted young woman in 19th century Germany and the ancient Transylvanian vampire who stalks her, bringing untold horror with him.

Nosferatu was previously remade by Werner Herzog in 1979, with Klaus Kinski playing the title character. The 2000 film Shadow of the Vampire was a fictional account of the making of Nosferatu, with Willem Dafoe playing Max Schreck as an actual vampire.

When Eggers’ Nosferatu was first announced eight years ago, the expectation was that his The Witch star Anya Taylor-Joy would be playing the Ellen role. But Taylor-Joy had trouble fitting the project into her busy schedule, and on two different occasions when Taylor-Joy was available to work on Nosferatu the project ended up falling apart. (Most recently because Harry Styles has been cast as Hutter, then had to drop out.) So Eggers ended up taking the next opportunity to get Nosferatu made, even if it would be without Taylor-Joy. Her role went to Depp.

Eggers is producing the remake with Jeff Robinson, John Graham, Chris Columbus, and Eleanor Columbus. Filming is now underway in Prague.

Are you glad to hear that Aaron Taylor-Johnson is going to be in Nosferatu? Share your thoughts on this news by leaving a comment below.