‘Nosferatu’ Director Developing ‘A Christmas Carol’ Film

Robert Eggers is reportedly working on a retelling of A Christmas Carol.

The Nosferatu filmmaker is said to be turning his attention to a new adaptation of Charles Dickens’ iconic ghost story, which he is developing with Warner Bros.

According to Deadline, Eggers will write and direct the movie, and he has longtime collaborator Willem Dafoe in mind to play Ebenezer Scrooge.

Negotiations are not yet underway with cast, but the filmmaker is writing the movie with Dafoe in mind.

Eggers will also serve as producer, with Chris and Elenor Columbus attached to produce via Maiden Voyage.

Focus

A Christmas Carol follows old miser Scrooge on Christmas Eve, as he’s visited by his late business partner Jacob Marley, and the spirits of Christmas Past, Present and Yet To Come.

There have been countless adaptations of the book over the years, with Alastair Sim’s 1951 turn as Scrooge regarded as one of the best.

In 1970, Albert Finney played the title role in Scrooge, with Alec Guinness playing Marley, while 1992’s Muppet Christmas Carol saw Michael Caine take on the lead.

Disney has had a number of adaptations, including 1983’s Mickey's Christmas Carol, and 2009’s performance capture film from Robert Zemeckis, which starred Jim Carrey as Scrooge and the three spirits.

Meanwhile, Eggers' previous works have covered New England in the 1630s and 1890s, with The Witch and The Lighthouse respectively, the Viking era with The Northman and 1830s Transylvania with Nosferatu.

Earlier this year, he admitted he can't bear the idea of having to film modern inventions such as cars and mobile phones.

He told Rotten Tomatoes: “The idea of having to photograph a car makes me ill. And the idea of photographing a cellphone is just death. And to make a contemporary story you have to photograph a cellphone — it’s just how life is — so no.”