Eggers, Dafoe Team for Scrooge Remake

Here’s an unexpected director-studio pairing: Robert Eggers, the visionary behind The Witch and Nosferatu, is reportedly in talks to direct a remake of A Christmas Carol for Warner Bros. — with Willem Dafoe as his top choice to portray Ebenezer Scrooge.

Variety reports neither Eggers nor Dafoe are officially attached yet, but the studio is considering Eggers to direct, and he’s keen to cast his frequent collaborator in the lead role. The project remains in early development, so production wouldn’t begin anytime soon.

Eggers is currently committed to writing and directing Werwulf, his medieval horror film for Focus Features, which takes priority. This suggests the Christmas Carol adaptation would follow, potentially entering production as Eggers completes his 13th-century nightmare. Of course, Hollywood timelines often shift unexpectedly.

The director recently described Werwulf as "by far the darkest material" he’s ever written. This raises fascinating questions about how he might reinterpret a beloved classic like A Christmas Carol. While he could dial back his signature intensity, chances are he’ll push the story’s inherent darkness to disturbing new heights — an exhilarating prospect for genre fans.

Eggers co-wrote Werwulf with Sjón, his collaborator on The Northman and the forthcoming Labyrinth sequel, targeting a Christmas 2026 release. If Warner Bros. moves quickly on A Christmas Carol, we might see it as early as 2027 — sooner than many would anticipate.