Robert Houston Eggers (born July 7, 1983 in Lee, New Hampshire) is an American film director, screenwriter, and production designer. His films are known for their central elements of folklore and mythology, as well as the thorough caliber of work he does to ensure historical authenticity.
Eggers grew up in Lee, New Hampshire with his father, mother, and two brothers. He cited his childhood in New England as his inspiration to write the script for his first film, the 2015 horror film The VVitch. He would co-write his following film, 2019's The Lighthouse, with one of his brothers, Max Eggers; his third directorial effort, 2022's The Northman, was co-written by him and Icelandic poet Sjón. All three films garnered much praise and at least some degree of commercial success.
Eggers' upcoming fourth film is a remake of the classic 1922 silent film Nosferatu. The remake has more or less been a dream project of his, considering him being hired to direct a professional version of the Nosferatu play after having directed his high school's performance was reportedly what inspired him to pursue a career in filmmaking. Its production was first announced in 2015, and though it initially looked like it would be his second film after The VVitch, it was delayed and put on hold numerous times, with filming not taking place until 2023. The film is scheduled for release on December 25, 2024. Bill Skarsgård will star as Count Orlok; Nicholas Hoult, Lily-Rose Depp, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin and Willem Dafoe are among the supporting roles.
He is married to a clinical psychologist named Dr. Alexandra Shaker, with whom he has a son.
No relation to novelist Dave Eggers.
Filmography:
- The VVitch (2015)
- The Lighthouse (2019)
- The Northman (2022)
- Nosferatu (2024)
Tropes applying to his works:
- Central Theme: Eggers' well-researched, exhaustively detailed historical films make it clear that the past was awful by every conceivable social and technological standard. Eggers also starkly portrays the world and morality as it would be seen filtered through the beliefs, norms, and psychology of the era rather than modern ones.
- Creator Provincialism: Both The Witch and The Lighthouse are set in Eggers' native New England.
- Monochrome Casting: All of his films have all-white casts.
- Production Posse: He's cast Anya Taylor-Joy, Willem Dafoe and Ralph Ineson two times each out of his first three films. He reunited with Dafoe and Ineson for his upcoming fourth film, Nosferatu. Taylor-Joy was also at one point set to star, but dropped out
- Shown Their Work: Eggers is regarded for his well-researched depictions of the past, with some dialogue from The Witch being taken directly from primary historical sources.
