Nicholas Hoult has opened up about the rather risqué gift he got from director Robert Eggers after finishing filming on the forthcoming “Nosferatu”. This horror film offers a fresh take on the eerie tale of the ancient vampire Count Orlok, inspired by the iconic 1922 German silent horror classic. In Eggers’ version, Bill Skarsgård portrays the menacing Orlok, Lily-Rose Depp plays the object of his obsession, and Hoult takes on the role of Thomas Hutter, a real estate agent who unwittingly stumbles into the vampire’s lair. Eggers, known for his unique blend of horror and folklore that creates an atmospheric experience, aims to present a gothic and visually stunning revival of this genre-defining story.
In an interview, Hoult shared that Eggers gave him Count Orlok’s prosthetic penis as a wrap gift. Hoult, whose character’s life gets complicated when tasked with finding a new home for the wealthy Transylvanian vampire, remembered a particularly memorable scene where Skarsgård’s Count Orlok fed on him. Here’s what the actor recounted:
“I have Count Orlok’s prosthetic penis framed at home. There’s a scene where Bill Skarsgård is slurping my blood and Robert Eggers asked afterwards, ‘How was that for you?’ The director asked.
I said, ‘I could feel his prosthetic penis on my leg.’ And then, as a wrap gift, Rob got it framed, and he sent it to my house, but the frame had broken when I got it, so I had to take it to the local frame shop. I had to be like, ‘Hey dude can you fix this.’ He kind of didn’t even blink the first time and then when I went back to pick it up I think he clocked, like, how weird it was that I was framing, potentially, this vampire penis. He was like, ‘Is this some kind of collector’s piece?’ I was like, ‘You could say that.’”
What Hoult’s gift means for Eggers’ “Nosferatu” is that it ties into the exploration of the dark allure of the vampire myth. The rather bizarre yet darkly humorous gift reflects the psychosexual themes that Eggers incorporates into Orlok’s obsessive pursuit of Ellen Hutter (Depp), the wife of the ill-fated real estate agent. Similar to Werner Herzog’s “Nosferatu the Vampyre”, which presented a more dreamlike and sensual portrayal of the vampire, Eggers’ film seems set to dig deeper into the darker, more intimate aspects of the vampire legend. Vampires have long symbolized repressed desires and primal instincts, and the interactions between Count Orlok and Thomas Hutter are likely to embody these unsettling tensions.
Robert Eggers’ movies are famous for his ability to combine historical authenticity with surreal, atmospheric storytelling, as seen in “The Lighthouse” and “The Witch”. By drawing inspiration from both F.W. Murnau’s 1922 silent classic and Herzog’s dreamlike reinterpretation, Eggers crafts a modernized version of “Nosferatu” that melds gothic horror with an examination of power, seduction, and fear. Hoult’s anecdote about the prosthetic gift not only highlights the dark humor behind the scenes but also suggests the unnerving intimacy that could define Skarsgård’s portrayal of Orlok, a being who is both monstrous and tragically human.
Hoult’s “Nosferatu” wrap gift is a meeting point of dark humor and gothic horror. Hoult’s story about receiving Count Orlok’s prosthetic penis provides an interesting look into the psychosexual undercurrents that shape the film. It’s a narrative about a tormented creature that has always straddled the line between the monstrous and the sensual, as seen in other vampire-themed films like “Interview with the Vampire”, “A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night”, and “Bram Stoker’s Dracula”.
With Eggers in charge, “Nosferatu” is shaping up to be more than just a gothic vampire revival. It’s a contemplation on the primal fears and desires that have made the vampire myth so captivating for generations. Hoult’s unusual keepsake serves as a quirky reminder of how deeply Eggers is committed to his vision, promising audiences a dark, haunting, and unforgettable cinematic experience.
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