Summary
- Bill Skarsgård in Nosferatu can help Robert Eggers' box office streak following Alexander Skarsgård's flop in The Northman.
- Bill and Alexander Skarsgård have a family trend of playing different vampires, showcasing their versatility.
- Bill Skarsgård's potential in the horror genre shines through as he takes on the role of Count Orlok in the Nosferatu remake.
Bill Skarsgård. Alexander Skarsgård has shown his acting skills in a variety of movies and TV shows, positioning himself as one of the most versatile actors of his generation. After being part of various Swedish projects, Skarsgård’s big break arrived in 2008 when he was cast as Brad “Iceman” Colbert in the miniseries Generation Kill. On the big screen, his first big project was Zoolander, where he played Meekus.
Since then, Skarsgård has been part of a variety of projects, most notably the movies Melancholia, Battleship, The Legend of Tarzan, and Infinity Pool, along with the TV shows True Blood, Big Little Lies, and Succession. Alexander Skarsgård comes from a family of actors, and one of his brothers has also become a renowned actor, especially in the horror genre: Bill Skarsgård, who is starring in some of 2024’s biggest projects. Among them is one by a director Alexander Skarsgård previously worked with, though the movie was a box office flop, but the new one starring Bill can make up for that.
Bill Skarsgård's Nosferatu Looks Like It'll Fix Robert Eggers' Box Office Streak After The Northman
Robert Eggers Is In Charge Of The Nosferatu Remake
Despite its star-studded cast, impressive production, and positive critical reception (with a 90% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes), The Northman didn’t do well at the box office.
In 2022, Alexander Skarsgård starred in Robert Eggers’ epic historical action film the legend of Amleth, which, in turn, was the inspiration for William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Skarsgård played Amleth, a Viking prince who flees after his father’s murder at the hands of his uncle, Fjölnir, and returns years later now as a berserker to avenge his father’s death. During his quest for revenge, Amleth meets Slavic sorceress Olga (Anya Taylor-Joy) and uncovers a dark family secret involving his mother, Queen Gudrún (Nicole Kidman), and Fjölnir.
Despite its star-studded cast, impressive production, and positive critical reception (with a 90% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes), The Northman didn’t do well at the box office. The Northman earned $69.6 million against a budget of $70-90 million, which is believed to have been the result of competing at the box office with The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, as they targeted the same demographic. However, The Northman found success once it was released on VOD, though that didn’t make up for its box office underperformance.
Luckily, Robert Eggers’ next film has the potential to fix his box office streak after what happened with The Northman. Eggers directed the Nosferatu remake, starring Bill Skarsgård, which, even though it looks to have the same visual style as his previous films, seems to have a lower budget than The Northman, thus making it easier for it to bring back Eggers’ box office win streak. In addition to that, Nosferatu is a story the audience is more familiar with or at least they have heard of it, thus drawing more attention than Amleth and The Northman did.
Nosferatu's Bill Skarsgård Casting Continues A Very Specific Skarsgård Family Trend
Bill & Alexander Skarsgård Have Played A Classic Monster In Different Projects
Eric Northman boosted Alexander Skarsgård’s career and popularity, but unlike his brother, he hasn’t played another vampire ever since.
Bill Skarsgård has been part of a variety of projects on TV and the big screen, but he has earned a special place in the horror genre. Nosferatu isn’t the first time Bill Skarsgård plays a vampire, but it has the potential to be one of his best horror performances to date – and it’s also continuing an interesting and very specific Skarsgård family trend.
One of Alexander Skarsgård’s most notable roles is Eric Northman in True Blood, a Viking prince and vampire. Eric Northman boosted Alexander Skarsgård’s career and popularity, but unlike his brother, he hasn’t played a vampire ever since. It’s to be seen if Alexander Skarsgård will play another vampire (or maybe another classic monster) again, but for now, Bill has the upper hand with his two very different vampires: Roman Godfrey in Hemlock Grove and Nosferatu's Count Orlok.
Bill Skarsgård's Nosferatu Role Makes Up For His Exit From The Northman
Bill Skarsgård Could Have Worked With Robert Eggers Before Nosferatu
The Northman would have been Bill and Alexander Skarsgård’s second project together after White Water Fury.
Nosferatu is Bill Skarsgård’s first project with Robert Eggers, but he could have worked with him earlier. When The Northman was in pre-production, Bill Skarsgård was in talks to star in it as Thorir the Proud, Fjölnir’s elder son and thus Amleth’s cousin, which would have made the family connection between both characters more interesting. However, in September 2020, Bill Skarsgård dropped out due to scheduling conflicts, and Gustav Lindh was cast instead. Had he not had to drop out, The Northman would have been Bill and Alexander Skarsgård’s second project together after White Water Fury.
Luckily, leaving The Northman didn’t stop Bill Skarsgård from working with Robert Eggers, and Count Orlok seems like a more fitting character for him than Thorir, as he’s a more complex character and a horror icon, and the horror genre is one Bill Skarsgård has excelled at. Nosferatu has a lot playing in its favor, and has the potential to make up for The Northman’s undeserved box office failure.
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6/10The Northman is a historical epic released in 2022 that follows Viking Prince Amleth on his quest for vengeance. After witnessing his father's murder and his mother's abduction by his uncle, Amleth dedicates his life to rescuing his mother and avenging these betrayals.
- Cast
- Willem Dafoe, Phill Martin, Eldar Skar, Olwen Fouéré, Edgar Abram, Jack Gassmann, Ingvar E. Sigurðsson, Oscar Novak, Jack Walsh, Björk, Ian Whyte, Katie Pattinson, Andrea O’Neill, Rebecca Ineson, Kate Dickie, Ísadóra Bjarkardóttir Barney, Kevin Horsham, Seamus O'Hara
- Director
- Robert Eggers
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8/10Nosferatu is a remake of the 1922 silent film of the same name from director F. W. Murnau. Robert Eggers is crafting his own version of the story for the reboot as writer and director, with Bill Skarsgård stepping into the shoes of Count Orlok. Nosferatu tells the tale of a young woman who falls victim to a vampire utterly infatuated with her.
- Cast
- Emma Corrin, Simon McBurney, Paul Maynard, Stacy Thunes
- Director
- Robert Eggers
