Robert Houston Eggers (born July 7, 1983) is an American filmmaker. After working for years as a production designer, he became known for writing and directing the historical horror films The Witch (2015), The Lighthouse (2019), and Nosferatu (2024), as well as co-writing and directing the historical action film The Northman (2022). Noted for his thorough efforts to ensure historical authenticity,[1] his films often blend elements of horror, folklore, and mythology.
Robert Eggers | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) Eggers in September 2015 | |
| Born | July 7, 1983 New York City, U.S. |
| Occupation | Filmmaker |
| Years active | 2007–present |
| Spouse | Alexandra Shaker |
| Children | 1 |
Early life
editRobert Houston Eggers was born in New York City on July 7, 1983.[2][3] He does not know who his biological father is.[1] He and his mother Kelly Houston moved to Laramie, Wyoming, where she met and married Walter Eggers, an English literature professor at the University of Wyoming.[1][4] The couple had twin sons named Max and Sam, who also became filmmakers.[5] In 1990, the family relocated to Lee, New Hampshire, after Walter became a provost at the University of New Hampshire.[1][6]
Eggers returned to New York to attend the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in 2001.[1] He gained an interest in designing, directing, and theatre while there, and would additionally show an interest in filmmaking by directing and designing short films.[7] His childhood in New England often inspires his work; while writing his first feature film, he frequently visited the Plimoth Plantation in Massachusetts.[8]
Career
editEggers began his career as a designer and director of theatre productions in New York before transitioning to working in film.[9] He wrote and directed the horror film The Witch (2015) in his feature film directorial debut, and it premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival before A24 acquired it. It was released theatrically on February 19, 2016.[1] Critical reception was largely positive, and the film earned over $40 million against a budget of $4 million.[1]
Eggers' next film, The Lighthouse (2019), was also a period piece and received critical acclaim. He directed the film from a screenplay he co-wrote with his brother, Max, and it stars Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe.[10] In 2022, the Amleth-inspired Viking epic film The Northman was released, starring Alexander Skarsgård, Nicole Kidman, Anya Taylor-Joy, Ethan Hawke, Björk, and Willem Dafoe.[11] Critical reception was largely positive, but the film underperformed at the box office and did not make a profit until it was released on VOD.
In July 2015, it was reported that Eggers would write and direct a remake of the silent film Nosferatu (1922). The film was set to be produced by Jay Van Hoy and Lars Knudsen for Studio 8.[12] In November 2016, Eggers expressed surprise that the Nosferatu remake was going to be his second film, saying, "It feels ugly and blasphemous and egomaniacal and disgusting for a filmmaker in my place to do Nosferatu next. I was really planning on waiting a while, but that's how fate shook out." Eggers had previously directed his high school's performance of the Nosferatu play, and was hired to direct a professional version of the play due to his work. Eggers credited this as the event that inspired him to pursue a career in filmmaking.[13] Eggers eventually opted to delay his version of the film, going on to direct The Lighthouse and The Northman first. The Witch star Anya Taylor-Joy was attached to the cast alongside Harry Styles, but both dropped out in 2022.[1][14] In September 2022, it was reported that the film will star Bill Skarsgård in the title role alongside Lily-Rose Depp.[15] Thus, Nosferatu became his fourth film.[1]
Eggers was at one point developing a miniseries based on the life of Grigori Rasputin.[16] However, he stated in 2024 that development has stalled as he would be unable to film in Russia.[17] He has also developed a medieval film called The Knight, which has yet to be produced.[1]
Eggers has frequently collaborated with cinematographer Jarin Blaschke and editor Louise Ford. Actors Ralph Ineson, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Willem Dafoe have appeared in many of his films, while composer Mark Korven has scored two.
Personal life
editEggers is married to Alexandra Shaker, a clinical psychologist he has known since childhood.[18] They reside in Brooklyn[8] and have a son named Houston.[18]
Filmography
editFeature films
edit| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | The Witch | Yes | Yes | No |
| 2019 | The Lighthouse | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 2022 | The Northman | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 2024 | Nosferatu | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Short films
edit| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Hansel and Gretel | Yes | Yes | Also production designer | [19] |
| 2008 | The Tell-Tale Heart | Yes | Yes | [20] | |
| 2015 | Brothers | Yes | Yes | [21] |
Production designer only
edit| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Drawing from Life | Short film |
| 2010 | Prelude and Fugue | |
| Confessional Stories: Voluntary Damnation | ||
| Confessional Stories: First Confession | ||
| Monster | ||
| 2011 | The Tailor | |
| The Five Stages of Grief | ||
| Tell Your Friends! The Concert Film! | Documentary | |
| In the Pines | Short film | |
| 2012 | Anemone | |
| Legacy | ||
| Esther | ||
| 2013 | The House at the Edge of the Galaxy | |
| Vivace! | ||
| Spirit Cabinet | Feature film | |
| 2014 | Rose | Short film |
Reception
edit| Year | Film | Rotten Tomatoes | Metacritic | Budget | Box office[22] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | The Witch | 91% (7.8/10 average rating) (337 ratings)[23] | 84 (46 reviews)[24] | $4 million[25] | $40.4 million |
| 2019 | The Lighthouse | 90% (8.0/10 average rating) (396 ratings)[26] | 83 (51 reviews)[27] | $11 million[28] | $18.3 million |
| 2022 | The Northman | 90% (7.7/10 average rating) (382 ratings)[29] | 82 (60 reviews)[30] | $70–90 million[31][32] | $69.4 million |
| 2024 | Nosferatu | 85% (8.1/10 average rating) (262 ratings)[33] | 78 (58 reviews)[34] | $50 million | $100.4 million |
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Knight, Sam (March 28, 2022). "Robert Eggers's Historical Visions Go Mainstream". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on March 29, 2022. Retrieved March 29, 2022.
- ^ "Robert Eggers Biography". AllMovie. Archived from the original on September 27, 2020.
- ^ "Robert Eggers". The Numbers. Archived from the original on December 26, 2024.
- ^ "The University of Wyoming Minutes of the Trustees" (PDF). University of Wyoming. July 31, 1981. p. 15. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 29, 2024.
Walter F. Eggers, Associate Professor of English, was appointed as Acting Director of the University Libraries...
- ^ Sayre, Will (September 10, 2024). "The Front Room Directors on How Brother Robert Eggers & The Lighthouse's Wild Press Screening Inspired Them". MovieWeb. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
- ^ "Robert Stroud Houston Obituary - Visitation & Funeral Information". www.brewittfuneralhome.com. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
- ^ "BIOGRAPHY". Robert Eggers. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
- ^ a b Smith, Nicola (March 18, 2016). "New Hampshire Director Sifts His Home Soil". Valley News. Retrieved October 2, 2022.
- ^ Bloom, Jessica. "Designer-Turned-Director Robert Eggers Discusses His Horror Film 'The Witch'". Format Magazine. Retrieved September 26, 2016.
- ^ Fear, David (October 25, 2019). "Drunken Sailors and Movie Stars: Robert Eggers on Making The Lighthouse". Rolling Stone. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on October 28, 2019. Retrieved November 17, 2019.
- ^ Barter, Pavel (January 26, 2020). "Nicole Kidman in Belfast's The Northman movie". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
- ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (July 28, 2015). "Studio 8 Sets Nosferatu Remake; The Witch's Robert Eggers To Write & DirectDirect". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 3, 2015.
- ^ O'Falt, Chris (November 11, 2016). "Filmmaker Toolkit Podcast: Witch Director Robert Eggers' Lifelong Obsession with 'Nosferatu' and His Plans For a Remake (Episode 13)". IndieWire. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved August 28, 2017.
- ^ Kroll, Justin (September 30, 2022). "Bill Skarsgard & Lily-Rose Depp To Star In 'Nosferatu', Robert Eggers' Follow-Up To 'Northman' For Focus". Deadline. Retrieved September 30, 2022.
- ^ Vlessing, Etan (September 30, 2022). "Bill Skarsgard, Lily-Rose Depp in Talks for Robert Eggers' 'Nosferatu' Remake". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 30, 2022.
- ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (February 22, 2016). "The Witch Helmer Robert Eggers To Write, Direct Rasputin Miniseries For MRC". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 13, 2017.
- ^ Earl, William (December 25, 2024). "'Nosferatu' Director Robert Eggers Breaks Down the Erotic Vampire Scenes, Creating an All-Time Scary Villain and the 'Demented' Bloody Moment He Had to Cut". Variety. Retrieved December 28, 2024.
- ^ a b Knight, Sam (March 28, 2022). "Robert Eggers's Historical Visions Go Mainstream". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on March 29, 2022. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
- ^ McCarter, Reid (April 5, 2022). "Watch Hansel & Gretel, Robert Eggers' debut short and testament to a longstanding witch fascination". The A.V. Club. Paste Magazine. Archived from the original on April 5, 2022.
- ^ Zilko, Christian (April 28, 2022). "Watch Robert Eggers Adapt Edgar Allan Poe in Early Short Film 'The Tell-Tale Heart'". IndieWire. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on September 5, 2024.
- ^ "Brothers". Le Cinéma Club. Archived from the original on September 29, 2020.
- ^ Robert Eggers - Box Office), retrieved May 5, 2022
- ^ The Witch (2016), February 19, 2016, retrieved March 14, 2020
- ^ The Witch, retrieved March 14, 2020
- ^ "2016 Feature Film Study" (PDF). Film L.A. Inc. May 2017. Retrieved June 29, 2017.
- ^ The Lighthouse (2019), October 25, 2019, retrieved March 14, 2020
- ^ The Lighthouse, retrieved March 14, 2020
- ^ Matheou, Demetrios (December 16, 2019). "Robert Eggers on why his actors endured 'physical misery' whilst making 'The Lighthouse'". Screen Daily. Retrieved August 17, 2021.
- ^ The Northman, April 22, 2022, retrieved February 25, 2023
- ^ The Northman, retrieved February 25, 2023
- ^ Rubin, Rebecca (April 20, 2022). "Box Office: 'The Bad Guys,' Viking Epic 'The Northman' and Nicolas Cage's 'Massive Talent' to Battle 'Fantastic Beasts 3'". Variety. Retrieved April 30, 2022.
- ^ "Robert Eggers's Historical Visions Go Mainstream". The New Yorker. April 2022. Retrieved April 25, 2022.
- ^ Nosferatu (2024), January 3, 2024, retrieved January 3, 2024
- ^ Nosferatu, retrieved January 3, 2024
Bibliography
edit- Adrian Gmelch (2023). Art-Horror: The Films of Ari Aster and Robert Eggers. Create Space. ISBN 9798364720719.