Robert Eggers on Nosferatu’s Most Startling Private Type Selection

Some of the secretive parts about Robert Eggers‘ Nosferatu—a reimagining of a silent movie that famously lifted its plot from Dracula—is what Count Orlok would appear to be. Earlier than the movie hit theaters, advertising materials confirmed the vampire performed by Invoice Skarsgård solely in silhouette or shadow. This was couched in dialogue of how freakishly terrifying the character would seem on-screen, however now that the film’s out, audiences are additionally paying attention to a stunning grooming alternative.

Clearly… it’s that mustache!

In a spoiler-y interview with Variety, Eggers was requested why Rely Orlok has such distinctive facial hair. As is usually the case with this writer-director, it began whereas he was doing intensive analysis forward of manufacturing.

“To attempt to make a extra scary vampire than we’ve had in fairly a while, I went again to the folklore,” he instructed the commerce. “It’s one thing that I like anyway, however the early folks vampire was written about by individuals who believed that vampires existed. There was going to be some great things there, and the vampire of folklore is a putrid, strolling undead corpse.”

That led to, he defined, questioning “What does a useless Transylvanian nobleman appear to be?”

From there, Eggers stated, he figured that meant “this complicated Hungarian costume with very lengthy sleeves, unusual high-heeled footwear and a furry hat. It additionally means a mustache. It doesn’t matter what, there’s no manner this man can’t have a mustache. Attempt to discover a Transylvanian one that’s of age who can develop a mustache that doesn’t have a mustache. It’s a part of the tradition. In the event you don’t need to trouble Googling, consider Vlad the Impaler. Even Bram Stoker had the sense to present Dracula a mustache within the e-book.”

So there you might have it: it’s a culturally acceptable alternative—as you possibly can see, different characters within the movie, together with Willem Dafoe’s Prof. Von Franz, additionally rock ‘staches—and it’s one Stoker himself took into consideration whereas engaged on the 1897 novel that began all of it.

Nosferatu is in theaters now.

Need extra io9 information? Try when to anticipate the newest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s subsequent for the DC Universe on film and TV, and every part it is advisable to find out about the way forward for Doctor Who.