Robert Eggers remake of the classic vampire film Nosferatu starring Bill Skarsgård as the titular vampire now has a major obstacle in the form of box office darling Michael B. Jordan. Nosferatu, which hits theaters Christmas 2024, is the fourth feature-length period film from celebrated director Robert Eggers, and will be one of the most high-profile of the recent run of vampire movies released in the 2020s. Starring Nicholas Hoult, Willem Dafoe, and Lily-Rose Depp alongside Skarsgård as Nosferatu, it may be overshadowed by another vampire movie in just a few months.
Robert Eggers has a history of producing critical hits that emphasize historical authenticity in both their story-telling and their production, and Nosferatu will undoubtedly follow suit, as it is set in Western Europe in the 1830s (assuming it follows the 1922 original’s plot). While that sort of film-making certainly appeals to many, it suddenly is not the most exciting vampire project on the horizon. A new film, from an even more acclaimed director and starring Michael B. Jordan, may steal the spotlight from Nosferatu.
Michael B. Jordan’s Sinners Is Now A Lot More Exciting Than Bill Skarsgård’s Nosferatu Remake
The Original Vampire Story Has More Going For It Than The Remake
As visually impressive and scary as Eggers’ Nosferatu is sure to be, Ryan Coogler’s recently revealed vampire movie Sinners, which will star frequent Coogler collaborator Michael B. Jordan, is even more exciting. Few specifics have been released yet, but the main cast of Sinners is known, and a trailer has hit the internet already. In the movie, Michael B. Jordan plays both the main character and his twin, and Hailee Steinfeld stars opposite him. Like Nosferatu, Sinners will be a period movie, set in the American South in the 1930s.
All Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan Director/Actor Collaborations | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Movie | Release Date | Budget | Box Office Gross | RT Tomatometer Score | RT Popcornmeter Score |
Fruitvale Station | 2013 | $900K | $17.1 million | 94% | 87% |
Creed | 2015 | $40 million | $173.6 million | 95% | 89% |
Black Panther | 2018 | $200 million | $1.35 billion | 96% | 79% |
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever | 2022 | $225 million | $859.2 million | 84% | 94% |
Unlike Nosferatu, Sinners will bring a completely original story to the table, as Ryan Coogler himself is behind the script as well as sitting in the director’s chair. Coogler and Jordan have a long history of producing hit movies together, including Fruitvale Station, Black Panther, and Creed. That duo’s history, along with the originality of the script, give it a serious leg up over Nosferatu, which will be a remake, albeit a high-quality one. That makes Sinners, which is set to release in March 2025, three months after Nosferatu, the more exciting of the two.
Sinners Will Likely Be A Bigger Box Office Success Than Nosferatu
Nosferatu Will Have More Niche Appeal Than Large Audience Allure
The aforementioned factors not only make Sinners more exciting than Nosferatu, they also give it a considerable box office edge. The combination of Coogler and Jordan has been box office gold in the decade they’ve been working together, and Sinners will have an automatic boost based on the duo’s name recognition. It will also have less competition than Nosferatu when it hits theaters, as it’s the clear highest-profile movie being released in March 2025. Nosferatu, on the other hand, will need to contend with Disney’s Lion King sequel and the Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown, among other massive releases.
The original
Nosferatu
actually predates Bela Lugosi’s
Dracula
, and is a direct adaptation of the original Bram Stoker novel from 1897.
Robert Eggers also has never been a massive box office draw on his own, despite producing technically excellent films. His most recent movie, 2022’s The Northman, was a total box office flop despite receiving rave reviews. However, Bill Skarsgård’s status as Hollywood’s leading scream king (largely thanks to his iconic performance as Pennywise in the It remake movies) will virutally ensure that the horror movie crowd is locked in on Nosferatu come Christmas, giving Nosferatu a decent chance at profitability, even if it doesn’t measure up to the inevitable box office domination of Sinners.
