Even though Nosferatu has been a mᴀssive success, Robert Eggers’ plan for his next movie is still risky. Eggers has directed several critically-acclaimed movies throughout the course of his career. His most recent film, Nosferatu, is his most financially successful movie yet. The story of Nosferatu follows Count Orlok, a vampire who leaves his castle in Transylvania to pursue a recently married woman who he has been haunting for years. The cast of Nosferatu includes Bill Skarsgård, Lily-Rose Depp, Nicholas Hoult, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin, Ralph Ineson, and Willem Dafoe.
Reviews for Nosferatu have been exceptional, and the film currently has a score of 85% on Rotten Tomatoes (via Rotten Tomatoes). Nosferatu’s positive reviews have led the film to being incredibly successful at the box office. As of this writing, Nosferatu has grossed $166,410,860 at the worldwide box office on a budget of $50 million (via Box Office Mojo). Following the overwhelming success of Nosferatu, Eggers’ next film has been announced. The director has revealed that his next movie will be a werewolf thriller тιтled Werwulf. Despite Nosferatu’s success, Werwulf is still a risky movie for Eggers to make.
Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu Had The Benefit Of IP But Werwulf Won’t
Nosferatu Is A Well-Known Vampire In Popular Media
Eggers has made many celebrated movies in his career, such as The Witch, The Lighthouse, and The Northman. However, Nosferatu was the director’s first movie that was based on an IP. Eggers’ Nosferatu is an adaptation of the 1922 silent film of the same name, which was an unofficial adaptation of Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel Dracula. Several Nosferatu movies have been made, and the character is commonly ᴀssociated with Dracula, who is also a very popular character. Therefore, Nosferatu’s success is likely in part due to the IP it is based on.
Since Werwulf is a completely original idea, it may struggle to make as much money as Nosferatu at the box office.
Unlike Nosferatu, Werwulf won’t be based on an IP. Not many details about Werwulf are currently known, but it has been revealed that it will be set in 13th century England and feature dialogue accurate to the time period. Since Werwulf is a completely original idea, it may struggle to make as much money as Nosferatu at the box office. Therefore, Eggers going back to an original idea after finding success with the recognizable name of Nosferatu is a risk.
2025 Just Reminded Us How Risky Werewolf Movies Can Be
Wolf Man Has Not Been A Huge Success
A recent 2025 horror movie is a reminder that werewolf films can struggle at the box office. Even though 2025’s Wolf Man is based on an IP and a well-known monster, it has underperformed at the box office. Wolf Man was meant to be a reboot film for the monster that was first introduced in the 1941 movie The Wolf Man. The story of Wolf Man follows a man who returns to his childhood home in Oregon with his wife and daughter, only to be scratched by a mysterious creature and slowly transform into a werewolf.
Reviews for Wolf Man have been mixed, and the film currently has an underwhelming score of 53% on Rotten Tomatoes (via Rotten Tomatoes). Wolf Man’s less-than-ideal reviews have led to the film not performing well at the box office. Wolf Man was expected to make $18+ million in its opening weekend, but only managed to gross $12.3 million. Wolf Man’s disappointing performance proves that audiences won’t automatically flock to theaters to see a new werewolf movie.
Robert Eggers’ Rising Status Could Help Werwulf Be A Box Office Hit After Nosferatu
Eggers Is Now One Of The Most Popular Horror Directors In The World
It is also worth noting that The Northman, the film Eggers made right before Nosferatu, bombed at the box office. The Northman only made $69,633,110 at the worldwide box office on an estimated budget of $70-90 million (via Box Office Mojo). Since Eggers’ last original movie was not a box office success, it’s possible that Werwulf also won’t perform well upon its release. However, there is no doubt that Eggers is a more well-known director after the success of Nosferatu. Therefore, his name alone could attract more people to see Werwulf in theaters.
|
Robert Eggers Movies |
Worldwide Box Office |
RT Critics Score |
|---|---|---|
|
The Witch (2015) |
$40,423,945 |
91% |
|
The Lighthouse (2019) |
$18,125,187 |
90% |
|
The Northman (2022) |
$69,633,110 |
90% |
|
Nosferatu (2024) |
$157,144,905 |
85% |
|
Werwulf (2026) |
n/a |
n/a |
People who enjoyed Eggers’ portrayal of a vampire in Nosferatu will likely also want to see his take on werewolves. Therefore, even though Werwulf is a risky project for Eggers, it is possible that the film could be just as successful as Nosferatu. Werwulf may not be a guaranteed success after Nosferatu, but it will still be exciting to see how Eggers approaches a werewolf thriller movie.
