Director Robert Eggers has said Lily-Rose Depp brought him “to tears” during her audition for Nosferatu.
Newsweek emailed a spokesperson for Depp for comment on Tuesday outside of normal business hours.
Why It Matters
Nosferatu first met audiences in 1922, when F. W. Murnau’s German expressionist silent film starring Max Schreck hit the big screen. It’s considered an unofficial and unauthorized adaptation of Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula from 1897.
Eggers’ interpretation stars Depp—daughter of actor Johnny Depp and singer, model and actor Vanessa Paradis—as Ellen Hutter in this tale of a haunted young woman and the vampire who has an infatuation with her. Bill Skarsgård joins Depp as the infamous Count Orlok, and Nicholas Hoult stars as Thomas Hutter, husband to Depp’s Ellen.
The cast is also joined by Emma Corrin as Anna Harding, Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Friedrich Harding, Willem Dafoe as Professor Albin Eberhart von Franz and Ralph Ineson as Dr. Wilhelm Sievers.
What to Know
During a chat with Video Club, a series from Konbini that sees filmmakers and actors discuss movies, Eggers praised Depp, saying her audition was “insane,” calling her a “feral actor.”
“I had a meeting with Lily and she just impressed me so much. She understood the script so well, she had seen every major Dracula adaptation and a lot of more obscure ones, she immediately brought up our Polish friend (director Andrzej) Żuławski and I knew we were on the same page,” Eggers explained.
“But then we did an audition, a screen test, and it was just as raw and powerful as what she’s doing on screen.
“I’m not exaggerating; I was in tears because her audition was so insane. And she’s just such a disciplined, courageous, and, like, feral actor. She’s amazing.”
What People Are Saying
Film critic Courtney Howard on X: “Robert Eggers’ #Nosferatu goes HARDER than any other horror film this year. Holy f***. A gorgeous grotesquerie of dread-infused terrors & a divine dark delight. Bill Skarsgård’s Count Orlok is pure sinister nightmare fuel. Lily Rose Depp & Nicholas Hoult’s best work to date.”
Matt Neglia owner and editor-in-chief of Next Best Picture on X: “Robert Eggers continues his impressive streak of crafting highly detailed and transportive period films with NOSFERATU, one of the most seductively macabre films ever made. Lily-Rose Depp gives every ounce of her body and soul to this eye-popping performance of tormented possession, while the overall portrayal of Count Orlok is so utterly compelling every moment he’s on screen that his presence lingers even when he’s not.
“Bill Skarsgård’s dark, alluring performance, the grotesque makeup, atmospheric sound design, Jarin Blaschke’s spellbinding cinematography & Robin Carolan’s haunting score all come together to reimagine a gothic classic, culminating in a breathtaking final shot that sent chills through my body as I left the theater. I cannot wait to succumb to the darkness all over again.”
Celebrity interviewer Steve Varley on X: “#Nosferatu is Eggers best film since “The Witch.” It is also his most disturbing. Bill Skarsgard completely loses himself in Orlok and Lily-Rose Depp elevates the film by giving the performance of the year. It is a slow burn with great payoff and beautifully eerie visuals. Bravo.”
#Nosferatu is Eggers best film since “The Witch.” It is also his most disturbing. Bill Skarsgard completely loses himself in Orlok and Lily-Rose Depp elevates the film by giving the performance of the year. It is a slow burn with great payoff and beautifully eerie visuals. Bravo pic.twitter.com/cVp1jdLb81
— Steve Varley (@stevevarleyshow) November 22, 2024
What Happens Next
The film has a chance at the Oscars, as it has been shortlisted in two categories: Music (Original Score) and Makeup and Hairstyling.
The shortlist is created from all eligible submissions, with each category narrowed down to 10-15 movies before the final nominations are announced in January. The Oscars ceremony will be held on March 2, 2025, with nominations announced on January 17.
With Depp and Skarsgård’s performances also being praised by critics, time will tell whether they will be nominated for their performances.
The post Lily-Rose Depp ‘Nosferatu’ Audition Brought Director to ‘Tears’ appeared first on Newsweek.
