Aaron Taylor-Johnson has been cast in writer-director Robert Eggers’ long-awaited remake of the classic 1922 horror movie, Nosferatu, Deadline is reporting. He’s set to play Friedrich Harding in the film.
The Golden Globe-winning actor joins the drama’s already announced ensemble cast, which includes Lily-Rose Depp, Bill Skarsgard, Nicholas Hoult and Emma Corrin. Nosferatu will also star Willem Dafoe, who previous worked with Eggers on the Oscar-nominated 2019 movie, The Lighthouse. Simon McBurney and Ralph Ineson have also been cast in the upcoming horror film.
Eggers is writing and directing Nosferatu, whose production is currently underway in Prague. Jeff Robinov, John Graham, Chris Columbus and Eleanor Columbus are serving as producers on the drama, alongside Eggers.
The start of production on the remake marks the end of a lengthy development process. The scribe-helmer-producer almost decided not to move forward with production on the movie because of his initial difficulty assembling a cast and obtaining financing.
“I don’t know,” Eggers previously told IndieWire when he was asked about the status of Nosferatu. “It’s fallen apart twice. I’ve been trying to get the word out because the word did carry that Harry Styles was going to be in the movie. I just want to be clear that he was going to be Hutter and not Nosferatu himself.”
Eggers then went on to praise the original 1922 film, which was directed by F.W. Murnau, while criticizing helmer Werner Herzog’s 1979 remake. “Herzog’s movie – for me, and I love Herzog, he’s one of my favorite directors – but I do feel like it is uneven,” The Witch‘s writer-director said
“Love the score, love [Isabelle] Adjani, love [Klaus] Kinski, but, like front-lit night scenes, what? That’s just Herzog doing Herzog,” Eggers continued.
“But the best sequence of that movie, for me, is getting to the castle with Das Rheingold, and I don’t even know if it makes sense in the film even though it’s awesome,” the filmmaker continued.
“But at the same time because of German history and German cinema history, it was his right to do that film, and he needed to do that film. I don’t know. Maybe Murnau’s telling me I don’t have the right,” Eggers added about the possibility that he was given a sign that he wasn’t meant to remake Nosferatu.
The new reimagining of Nosferatu tells a gothic tale of obsession between a haunted young woman, Ellen Hutter (Depp), in 19th century Germany and the ancient Transylvanian vampire, Count Orlok (Skarsgard), who stalks her. As he follows the woman he desires, he brings untold horror with him.
Focus Features will distribute the drama, which is adaptation of Bram Stoker’s iconic 1897 novel, Dracula, across the U.S. Universal Pictures International will release the project around the world.
Taylor-Johnson next will be seen playing as the titular superhero in Marvel’s Kraven the Hunter. He recently wrapped production on the action-adventure movie The Fall Guy. On the project, the BAFTA-nominated actor is reuniting with helmer David Leitch, who directed him in Bullet Train.
Taylor-Johnson’s credits also include Christopher Nolan’s Tenet. The BAFTA Award-nominated actor also appeared in the action-spy feature The King’s Man, the prequel to the Kingsman film series. The performer also gained notoriety earlier in his career by starring in Avengers: Age of Ultron and Godzilla (2014), and also playing the titular character in Kick-Ass and its sequel.