Robert Eggersis experiencing some of the most high-profile success of his career right now. His latest film,Nosferatu, has not only received largely rave reviews, but also emerged as a surprise box office hit after grossing over $100 million worldwide in its first two weeks in theaters. The film is Eggers’ take on the iconic 1922 silent horror film of the same name, which is itself unofficially based on Bram Stoker’sDracula.
Given his success withNosferatuand his clear interest in classic horror stories, one could assume that Eggers might have plans to tackle another, similarly monumental horror property at some point in the future. Sure enough, in a recent interview withCurzon, Eggers revealed that he’s already tried writing his own adaptation of Mary Shelley’sFrankenstein. Eggers says he was inspired to do so by the birth of his son, saying he felt an “unconscious urge” to try his hand at reinterpreting the beloved, timeless gothic novel.
UnlikeNosferatu, however, the filmmaker says he doesn’t intend to follow through on hisFrankensteinadaptation. “I started to try to doFrankenstein, which after two weeks, I was like, ‘There’s no way I can do this, it’s impossible,'” he revealed. In the same interview, Eggers refrained from offering any insight into what his abandoned take onFrankensteinmight have entailed, noting only that it “definitely sucked.”
Despite Eggers’ apparent struggles with the material, horror fans won’t have to wait long to see a newFrankensteinmovie. Not only is director Maggie Gyllenhaal currently working on her ownFrankenstein-adjacent film titledThe Bride, butPan’s Labyrinthfilmmaker Guillermo del Toro has also directed his ownFrankensteinadaptation starring Oscar Isaac as the movie’s titular mad scientist and Jacob Elordi as his unnatural creation. Both films are set to hit theaters this year.
Eggers, for his part, doesn’t seem too heartbroken over his failedFrankensteinadaptation. “Sometimes, you know you have a dud,” he told Curzon. “I’m super excited for Guillermo del Toro’sFrankenstein.”
