Robert Eggers’ follow-up to Nosferatu proves that the filmmaker is building a Dark Universe of his own years after Universal tried and failed to form the franchise. Nosferatu was Eggers’ fourth feature film and has been his most successful movie yet. Reviews for Nosferatu have been exceptional, and the movie has made $156,786,405 so far at the worldwide box office (via Box Office Mojo). The story of Nosferatu follows Count Orlok, a vampire who leaves his castle to find Ellen, a recently married woman who he has been haunting for years.
Following the success of Nosferatu, it has been revealed that Eggers’ next movie will be a werewolf thriller titled Werwulf. Details about Eggers’ next movie prove that he is forming his own version of the Dark Universe, which Universal failed to develop many years ago. Tom Cruise’s 2017 film The Mummy was meant to be the start of Universal’s cinematic universe revolving around monsters. Universal had many Dark Universe movies planned which would have featured characters such as Van Helsing, Frankenstein, Dracula, The Invisible Man, and Wolf Man. However, none of these movies were made.
Robert Eggers Is Making A Werewolf Movie After Nosferatu
Eggers Continues To Make Monster Movies
Less than a month after Nosferatu was released in theaters, it has been revealed that Eggers’ next movie will be a werewolf film. Not many details are currently known about the upcoming Werwulf, but it will reportedly be set in 13th century England and will include dialogue that is accurate to the time period. Additionally, it has also been announced that Werwulf has a release date of December 25, 2026, meaning it will hit theaters exactly two years after Nosferatu. Eggers making a werewolf film right after a vampire movie proves that he is making his own Dark Universe.
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Dracula and Wolf Man are two characters that would have been included in Universal’s Dark Universe. The studio actually did release a Wolf Man film, but it was a standalone project and not part of a larger universe. Additionally, the recently released Wolf Man has not impressed many critics, only garnering a score of 52% on Rotten Tomatoes (via Rotten Tomatoes). Therefore, Eggers has a chance to craft a werewolf movie that could overshadow Universal’s attempt at adapting the iconic monster known as Wolf Man.
Robert Eggers Has Tried To Make A Frankenstein Movie Too
Frankenstein Is One Of The Most Iconic Monsters Of All Time
After the release of Nosferatu, Eggers also revealed that he had been previously developing a Frankenstein movie. Frankenstein is another classic Universal monster that would have been included in the Dark Universe. Talking about his take on Frankenstein, Eggers admitted that he started working on a script just after his son was born. However, two weeks after he started the project, Eggers realized that his script wasn’t that good, and eventually realized that making a Frankenstein movie would be “impossible.” Eggers said:
Sometimes you know you’ve got a dud. I’m super, super excited for Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, but when my son was born, I had an unconscious urge, I’m sure because of that, but as I started writing, I was like, “Oh yeah, this is why,” but as I started to try to do Frankenstein, which after two weeks, I was like, “There’s no way I can do this, it’s impossible.” It definitely sucked, I’ll tell you that.
Therefore, Eggers ended up scrapping his Frankenstein project. As mentioned by Eggers, a Frankenstein movie directed by iconic horror filmmaker Guillermo del Toro will be released in 2025. However, just because del Toro is releasing a Frankenstein film doesn’t mean Eggers can’t revisit the project in the future. Therefore, it’s still possible that Eggers could make a Frankenstein movie at some point in the future, which would be a worthy addition to his growing catalog of monster movies. A Frankenstein movie, in addition to the upcoming Werwulf, would further prove that Eggers has created his own Dark Universe.
Nosferatu & Werwulf Could Be Part Of Robert Eggers’ Unofficial Dark Universe
Following Up Nosferatu With Werwulf Is Perfect
It is highly unlikely that Nosferatu and Werwulf would ever be considered to be officially part of the same series. However, Eggers could potentially include some loose connections between the two films. It has been revealed that Eggers will look to the original folklore of werewolves as inspiration for Werwulf. This is the exact same approach he took for Nosferatu. This is why Bill Skarsgard’s Count Orlok is so different from how other vampires have been portrayed in popular media.
Even though the stories of these films will take place hundreds of years apart, Eggers could still find a way to loosely connect both Nosferatu and Werwulf to form an unofficial Dark Universe.
After seeing Count Orlok in Nosferatu, it is safe to say that Eggers will also portray the werewolf in Werwulf in a unique way. In addition to rooting both films in the original folklore of these monstrous creatures, Eggers also decided to set both Nosferatu and Werwulf in the past. Nosferatu was set in the 19th century, whereas Werwulf will reportedly be set in the 13th century. Even though the stories of these films will take place hundreds of years apart, Eggers could still find a way to loosely connect both Nosferatu and Werwulf to form an unofficial Dark Universe.
A Robert Eggers Dark Universe Is Way Better Than What Universal Tried To Do
All Eggers’ Films Have Been Critically-Acclaimed
Universal’s Dark Universe was very ambitious and could have led to some exciting films, but their approach to the franchise was wrong from the start. The Mummy proved that Universal’s focus was on the action and well-known celebrities over the horror aspects of the films. In addition to Cruise, stars like Johnny Depp, Russell Crowe, Javier Bardem, and Channing Tatum were attached to Dark Universe movies. Additionally, Dwayne Johnson and Scarlett Johansson were rumored to star in other Dark Universe films.
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These castings prove that Universal was hoping these A-listers would be able to draw audiences to theaters, rather than the quality of the actual movies. Eggers’ unofficial Dark Universe will be the exact opposite of what Universal’s franchise would have been. If Werwulf is anything like Nosferatu, then monster movie fans will be pleased. Eggers is more focused on crafting complex characters and horrifying sequences, rather than relying on well-known names and CGI. Therefore, after the success of Nosferatu, it is clear that Werwulf will be better-received than any movie in Universal’s Dark Universe would have been.
This story originally appeared on Screenrant
