Nosferatu as played by Bill Skarsgard in the Robert Eggers remake looks like a dead Transylvania nobleman, & we won’t see him until December

The Witch, The Lighthouse, and The Northman writer/director Robert Eggers‘ remake of F.W. Murnau’s 1922 silent classic Nosferatu (watch it HERE) is set to reach theatres on Wednesday, December 25th – and while there has been a lot of talk about the transformation Bill Skarsgard (It) underwent to play the title character (Skarsgard himself has said that playing Nosferatu / Count Orlok was like “conjuring pure evil. It took a while for me to shake off the demon that had been conjured inside of me. … I do not think people are gonna recognize me in it.“), it has been confirmed that we won’t be seeing a good shot of the dead Transylvanian nobleman until the movie reaches the big screen.

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. Werner Herzog directed his own remake of the film in 1979.

Eggers’ take on 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.

Eggers told Vanity Fair, “This Orlok is more of a folk vampire than any other film version. That means he’s a dead person. And he’s not like, ‘I look great and I’m dead.’ Folk vampires in some ways are more visually similar to zombies. The reason why he looks the way he looks and he dresses the way he’s dressed is because for the first time in a Dracula or Nosferatu story, this guy looks like a dead Transylvanian nobleman . Every single thing he’s wearing down to the heels on his shoes is what he would’ve worn. That’s never been done.” Entertainment Weekly then learned, “Only when audiences arrive in theaters on premiere day this Christmas will the general public see the results of the full hair, make-up, and prosthetics.“

Skarsgard agrees with the decision to keep his character hidden in the marketing. “I think the best way to discover Orlok is through the movie for the first time. The movie functions on that, as well. He lives in the shadows for a long time, and it teases the reveal of the character as the movie progresses.“

Skarsgard is joined in the cast by Willem Dafoe (Spider-Man: No Way Home) as crazy vampire hunter Von Franz, Lily-Rose Depp (The Idol) as Ellen Hutter and Nicholas Hoult (Renfield) as her husband Thomas – a role Skarsgard was going to play at one point. Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Bullet Train) is in there as Thomas’s friend Friedrich Harding, with Emma Corrin (The Crown) as Friedrich’s wife Anna, Ralph Ineson (The Witch) as Von Franz’s cohort Dr. Wilhelm Sievers, and Simon McBurney (The Conjuring 2) in an unspecified role. The first reactions to the film recently made their way online, and they were very positive.

Are you looking forward to Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu remake, and are you glad to hear that Bill Skarsgard’s character is going to be concealed until the movie reaches the big screen? Let us know by leaving a comment below. 

Last Updated on November 13, 2024

Who doesn’t love a fun action movie? With John Wick and The Fast Saga changing the game for what audiences have come to expect from big-budget action movies, other movies are often relegated to second-class efforts. Luc Besson, the creator of The Transporter and Taken franchises, has cemented his own brand of action movie that has been around for decades. Partnering with co-writer and director George Huang, Besson has produced the new movie Weekend in Taipei, which mines the classic style of nineties-era action movies for a fun, brisk movie experience (check out our review HERE).

Weekend in Taipei follows DEA agent John Lawlor (Luke Evans) as he returns to Taiwan after fifteen years away. The last time he was there, he had a romance with criminal transporter Joey (Gwei Lun-mei). Lawlor is in town to pick up evidence to take down drug kingpin Kwang (Sung Kang). Unbeknownst to John, Joey is not only married to Kwang, but he also has a son whom he knows nothing about. Reuniting with his former love and son, Lawlor must try to escape from Taipei with the evidence to take Kwang down.

I got the chance to speak with the cast and crew of Weekend in Taipei. Wyatt Yang, who plays young Raymond, talked about being scared of Sung Kang’s method acting and what it was like filming his first movie. Star Luke Evans talked about playing a hero with Kang as the villain, the inverse of their Fast Saga relationship, and whether he hopes this movie turns into a franchise. Sung Kang talked about why playing villains is more fun while director George Huang gives a shout out to JoBlo.com while explaining the method behind his first action movie. Check out the full interviews in the embed above.

Weekend in Taipei premieres in theaters on November 8th.

About the Author

Alex Maidy has been a JoBlo.com editor, columnist, and critic since 2012. A Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic and a member of Chicago Indie Critics, Alex has been JoBlo.com’s primary TV critic and ran columns including Top Ten and The UnPopular Opinion. When not riling up fans with his hot takes, Alex is an avid reader and aspiring novelist.

Ben Stiller is back as Hal L. in the long-awaited Adam Sandler sequel Happy Gilmore 2 and he has been spotted on the set

Ben Stiller went uncredited on the 1996 comedy Happy Gilmore, where he had a small role as Hal L., a nursing home orderly who torments the elderly people in his care, dropping lines like, “You can trouble me for a warm glass of shut-the-hell-up!” Nearly thirty years later, Stiller is bringing Hal L. back to life, as he has been spotted on the set of the currently-filming Happy Gilmore 2!

Here’s what Stiller’s Hal L. is looking like these days:

Russell Crowe to return to the Roman Empire to defend his home from a Emperor in Will Eubanks’ The Last Druid

Russell Crowe is ready to get fitted for gilded armor again after signing on for The Last Druid, an upcoming action film set in his old stomping grounds, the Roman Empire. It’s been 25 years since Crowe took up his sword and shield for Ridley Scott’s Gladiator. Still, that won’t keep him from exploring a time of blood, sand, and violence.

Underwater director Will Eubank will direct The Last Druid from a script by Phil Gawthorne and Carlyle Eubank. Filming will commence next year. According to Deadline, The Last Druid depicts “how an Emperor discovers a secluded Druid stronghold in the mountains of Caledonia. A peaceful Celtic elder (Crowe) must take up arms to protect his family and people from annihilation.”

Emperors, man. Why are they always looking to take what isn’t theirs? Imposing your will on innocent people and overtaking territory is a great way to end up on somebody’s s**t list. Here’s hoping Crowe’s character gives the invaders what for and teaches anyone else looking to claim their land.

“This one was exceptionally well received by the international distributors who were fired up at the idea of Russell in this role and responded enthusiastically to the screenplay’sscreenplay’s skillful marriage of action and heart,” said AGC’s Stuart Ford.

Before Russell Crowe prepares for war in The Last Druid, he stars as Nikolai Kravinoff in Sony’s Kraven the Hunter. The upcoming superhero action film explores Kraven’s (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) complex relationship with his ruthless father (Crowe), who starts him down a path of vengeance with brutal consequences, motivating him to become not only the most excellent hunter in the world but also one of its most feared. Fred Hechinger also stars, with Ariana DeBose playing Calypso, Christopher Abbott as The Foreigner, and Alessandro Nivola as Aleksei Sytsevich, The Rhino.

If you have yet to see 2020’s Underwater, I highly recommend it. It’s an intense and action-packed creature feature that never stops from the moment it starts with the destruction of a facility in the murky ocean depths.

About the Author

Born and raised in New York, then immigrated to Canada, Steve Seigh has been a JoBlo.com editor, columnist, and critic since 2012. He started with Ink & Pixel, a column celebrating the magic and evolution of animation, before launching the companion YouTube series Animation Movies Revisited. He’s also the host of the Talking Comics Podcast, a personality-driven audio show focusing on comic books, film, music, and more. You’ll rarely catch him without headphones on his head and pancakes on his breath.

Finn Wolfhard is reteaming with Ghostbusters: Afterlife director Jason Reitman for a remake of the 1999 horror comedy Idle Hands

Stranger Things and Ghostbusters: Afterlife / Frozen Empire actor Finn Wolfhard recently made his feature directorial debut with a horror comedy called Hell of a Summer, which he directed alongside Billy Bryk, who also appeared in Ghostbusters: Afterlife. JoBlo’s own Chris Bumbray had the chance to watch the movie at the Toronto International Film Festival last year and gave it a 5/10 review than can be read at THIS LINK. Hell of a Summer has secured a U.S. distribution deal with NEON, and will receive a theatrical release sometime in 2025… and while we wait to find out the exact release date, Variety has broken the news that Sony Pictures has hired Wolfhard and Bryk to write an Idle Hands remake, which they might also direct. The Ghostbusters franchise’s Jason Reitman is on board to produce the film.

Directed by Rodman Flender – who also directed Leprechaun 2 and happens to be the uncle of Dune star Timothée Chalamet – from a screenplay by Terri Hughes and Ron Milbauer, the original Idle Hands was released in 1999 and has the following synopsis: When slacker teen Anton Tobias has his right hand possessed by a demonic force, he finds that his life gets a lot more interesting. While Anton himself is an amiable guy, his hand proves to be an appendage of death, killing his two best buddies, Pnub and Mick, who return to life as wisecracking zombies. In addition to murdering those closest to him, Anton’s evil hand significantly hinders his chances with lovely neighbor Molly.

The film stars Devon Sawa, Seth Green, Elden Henson, Jessica Alba, Vivica A. Fox, Jack Noseworthy, Steve Van Wormer, Fred Willard, Connie Ray, Katie Wright, Kelly Monaco, Sean Whalen, Nick Sadler, Randy Oglesby, Timothy Stack, Mindy Sterling, Joey Slotnick, Tom DeLonge, and Kyle Gass, with Christopher Hart as The Hand. There’s also a special appearance by the band The Offspring.

Reitman is producing the Idle Hands remake with Jennifer Todd and Suzanne Todd, under their Team Todd banner. Reitman’s Ghostbusters collaborator (and Frozen Empire director) Gil Keenan is also a producer on the project. Maia Eyre is overseeing for Sony.

What do you think of Finn Wolfhard, Billy Bryk, and Jason Reitman reteaming to remake Idle Hands? Share your thoughts on this one by leaving a comment below.

Guy Ritchie has lined-up an all-star cast for his next film, which is set to take on a topic he knows well – the English aristocracy.

Is there a busier director out there than Guy Ritchie? This year saw the release of his epic The League of Ungentlemanly Warfare and his TV adaptation of The Gentlemen. He also already has two movies wrapped for 2025. There’s In The Grey, which teams Jake Gyllenhaal and Henry Cavill, and then there’s Fountain of Youth with Natalie Portman and John Krasinski. Plus, he’s shooting two more series this year – Young Sherlock for Prime Video and the all-star The Associates for Paramount Plus. Now, we can add one more movie to his slate for next year – Wife & Dog, which is set to star Benedict Cumberbatch, Rosamund Pike and Anthony Hopkins.

According to a release from BlackBear, the company financing the film, Ritchie, who is also writing, will start shooting the film in February. The film is set in the back-stabbing world of the English aristocracy, which is familiar territory for the director, having been the milieu of both the movie and TV versions of The Gentlemen. That series was one of Netflix’s biggest hits of 2024, and it will also be getting a second season, although there is no news yet on when it will film.

In many ways, Ritchie seems to be taking a page from Taylor Sheridan. He has established his own universe of content broaching both TV and film, much of it carrying a distinct flavour that sets him apart. Ritchie doesn’t seem like a guy who rests on his laurels, so it’s not a surprise he’s gotten a film going while he works on his TV projects, which at least allows him to share directing and writing duties. 

One interesting thing about Ritchie is that he seems to have found a smart way to consistently get his films financed. This usually involves slicing up territories for the eventual release, with streaming rights being a big piece of the pie. The League of Ungentlemanly Warfare was a Prime Video original in most territories outside of the U.S. 

This will be Ritchie’s first collaboration with Cumberbatch and Hopkins. Pike co-stars in his upcoming In The Grey, which comes out January 17th, 2025. 

The official trailer for part two of season four of Netflix’s Outer Banks has arrived out of a recent fan event.

Straight from Poguelandia comes the official trailer for the second part of season four of Outer Banks, which is set to debut this week on November 7th. It hasn’t been much of a wait for the growing group of Outer Banks fans, as the first part was released on October 10th, but that’s definitely more than enough for the die-hards.

As per Netflix, “The Pogues are back for more action and adventure with a fourth season of Outer Banks, streaming now. John B (Chase Stokes), Sarah (Madelyn Cline), JJ (Rudy Pankow), Kiara (Madison Bailey), Pope (Jonathan Daviss), and Cleo (Carlacia Grant) are back for the biggest season yet…While one chapter of the Pogues’ story has closed, the next phase of #P4L has only just begun, and the hunt for Blackbeard’s gold is on the horizon.” 

Season four of Outer Banks has been split into two five-episode parts. With major revelations made in the first part’s finale, “Albatross”, no doubt the concluding set will be something fans are clamoring for. As we previously knew, the episode titles are: “The Town Council”, “Mothers and Fathers”, “Decision Day”, “The Storm”, and “The Blue Crown.”

The trailer was revealed at a fan event – which gathers around 2,500 of them – titled “Poguelandia: An Outer Banks Experience”, which the official website describes as such: “Poguelandia: An Outer Banks Experience is back and, this year, it’s built for Pogues — by Pogues. Experience Outer Banks IRL by hanging out at the Poguelandia house and surf shop, taking a photo with the Twinkie, getting some merch from Pacsun, or grabbing a bite to eat at staples like The Wreck and Heyward’s, or the new Cleo’s Spice Shack — serving up Cleo’s famous jerk chicken cheese on bread. And, of course, catch some vibes throughout the day with live music performances and cast appearances.”

Our own Tyler Nichols gave the first part of season four of Outer Banks a 6/10, admitting that he wasn’t a huge fan of the series going in. But those who are – and those who have stuck around since season one debuted in 2020 – will certainly be binging the concluding five episodes upon release. Be sure to also check out Tyler’s interviews with cast members Chase Stokes, Madelyn Cline, Madison Bailey, and more.

Outer Banks hasn’t officially been renewed for a fifth season but it seems like a strong possibility.

Despite a disappointing opening, Sony’s Venom 3 rallied in week two, while Robert Zemeckis’s Here was a disaster.

After a pretty underwhelming start at the North American box office, Sony’s Venom: The Last Dance, surprised everyone this weekend by posting a terrific hold. The estimated $26.1 weekend was a lot higher than we predicted. The 49% drop is unusual for a superhero film. The first Venom dropped 56% in week 2, while the sequel plunged 65%. Even Deadpool & Wolverine – the most liked superhero movie in years – fell 54% in its second weekend, which was considered a decent hold.

So what’s going on here? Part of it may be that the World Series might have kept audiences away last weekend. With a U.S. election happening on Tuesday, people might have yearned for a little escapism, allowing the film to make up for last weekend’s shortfall. With a $90 million gross, it’s unlikely to cross the double-century mark its predecessors did, but with very little in the way of competition next weekend, a finish north of $150 million isn’t out of the question.

Meanwhile, second place went to Dreamworks’s The Wild Robot, which has turned out to be a sleeper hit, with the $7.55 million haul (up 11% from last weekend) contributing to a $121 million domestic total. Smile 2 was a distant third, with $6.8 million and a $52.6 million total gross. While it will fall far short of the $105 million made by the first film, it should still turn a nice profit for the studio, allowing for more sequels (whether or not they should is something we dug into here). 

Focus Features has a word-of-mouth hit with Conclave, which fell a modest 20% in week 2 for a $5.3 million weekend and a total north of $14 million. With it likely to do well during awards season, there’s a good chance word of mouth will prop this up for a solid run (although if it drops too early on PVOD, it might shoot long-term box office prospects in the foot a bit).

The Robert Zemeckis movie, Here, wound up doing awful business this weekend, with a $5 million weekend. The CinemaScore is B minus, proving audiences aren’t enjoying this Tom Hanks/ Robin Wright re-team with their Forrest Gump director. A24 got themselves a nice word-of-mouth hit with We Live in Time, which fell a modest 28% this weekend, with a $3.47 weekend and a gross north of $17 million. It may well make it to $30 million if couples keep turning out to see this on date night. 

Meanwhile, possibly the year’s most profitable movie, Terrifier 3, earned $3.2 million towards a $50 million total gross. Two Bollywood movies took up eighth and ninth place, with Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 and Singham Again both making over $2 million apiece. Finally, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice rounded out the top 10, with a $2.08 million weekend and a $292 million gross.

Interestingly, Deadline reports that Clint Eastwood’s Juror #2, despite being dumped by Warner Bros, is far exceeding expectations, with an estimated $275k weekend on only thirty screens. If true, that would give it one of the highest per-screen averages on the chart this weekend. Considering his amazing track record, the studio should have shown a little more faith in ol’Clint.

Next weekend should allow Venom: The Last Dance to eke out another victory, with A24’s Heretic the only competition.

Robert Zemeckis revealed he wants to bring the musical version of Back to the Future to the screen but has been blocked by the studio.

A film adaptation of a Broadway musical of a major motion picture? Great Scott! It’s been done before but Robert Zemeckis would really love bringing Back to the Future to the screen — again, this time as a cinematic take on the hit musical. But will he ever get the chance?

While his latest movie Here flounders at the box office, Robert Zemeckis is on the promotional circuit also highlighting some of his greatest hits, including one of his biggest money makers, 1985’s Back to the Future. As far as his plans, inspiration and its status, he noted, “I would like to do the Back to the Future, the musical. Just like [Mel] Brooks did The Producers. I would love to do that. I think that would be great… I floated that out to the folks at Universal. They don’t get it. So, nothing I can do.”

The Back to the Future musical debuted in 2020 in England before hitting Broadway in 2023. Through this run, it would be nominated for two Tony Award nominations: Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical for Roger Bart (portraying Doc Brown) and Best Scenic Design of a Musical. Unfortunately for fans of the show, it will be closing in January after more than 500 shows and generating a reported $80 million in ticket sales. The show had some pretty strong prestige behind it, with new music by composer Alan Silvestri, lyrics by former Alanis Morissette collaborator Glen Ballard and book by Back to the Future trilogy co-writer and producer Bob Gale.

While Robert Zemeckis has never directed a musical, his taking on Back to the Future would feel like a perfect project for him. Not only would he be revisiting one of his trademark films, but his debut, 1978’s I Wanna Hold Your Hand, was a music-centric gem. Seriously, it’s one of the most fun movies of its time, chronicling a group of girls trying to see The Beatles on what would be their groundbreaking appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show.

Should Universal show Robert Zemeckis the power of love and let him make a movie version of the Back to the Future?

Michael Caine met Tom Cruise around the time of 1983’s Risky Business, remembering him wanting to learn how to stay in the business.

At 91 and with more than 70 years(!) in the industry, Michael Caine has obviously come across some of the most powerful talents to ever hit the screen. But one that stood out even at the start of his career was Tom Cruise, who Michael Caine remembers as a dynamic, eager up-and-comer who wanted to make a name in Hollywood.

Speaking with The Sunday Times, Michael Caine recalled the first time he met Tom Cruise. “I’ve known Tom for more than 40 years. We were doing a big event for Educating Rita (1983) and I turned around and there was this young actor, very polite, asking questions about how not to be just a flash in the pan. That was Tom, probably around the time of Risky Business.” Keep in mind that Cruise was just now trying to get his movie stardom going, with 1983 being his real breakout year after supporting roles in films like Taps and Endless Love.

While Michael Caine doesn’t remember the specifics of that conversation, Tom Cruise stood out in a significant way, setting himself up as one of the greatest lovers of cinema in our time. “I can’t remember what I said, but it obviously didn’t do him any harm! There was something special about him. He had a great attitude, this sense of poise. What interests me is that he is really one of the last true stars in movies. People will go to see a film just because he’s in it. Brad Pitt is a star, Morgan Freeman has some of that quality too. There are so few nowadays — not like John Wayne or Humphrey Bogart or Cary Grant.”

Notably, Michael Caine and Tom Cruise have never shared the screen in a meaningful way, although Cruise did cameo in Austin Powers in Goldmember (as himself, starring in Austinpussy), in which Caine played the real Austin’s father Nigel. Even still, Cruise and Caine have remained tight enough for Cruise to turn up at Caine’s 90th birthday party last year.

We could imagine Michael Caine and Tom Cruise making a great team on the silver screen, but unfortunately, that will never happen. For starters, Cruise is too busy hanging off of airplanes and chilling out on skyscrapers, which don’t exactly seem up Caine’s alley; further, Caine has officially retired, with his final role having been last year’s The Great Escaper.