Robert Eggers reveals why he'll never make a modern-set film

Robert Eggers has no intention of producing films that showcase the latest technological advancements and innovations.

The filmmaker of Nosferatu recently stated on Rotten Tomatoes that he feels "ill" at the thought of working on such movies.

“The idea of having to photograph a car makes me ill,” Eggers said. “And the idea of photographing a cellphone is just death. And to make a contemporary story you have to photograph a cellphone — it’s just how life is — so no [I won’t be making any modern-set films].”

From the 1630s and 1890s in New England to the Viking Era, the director has directed several films, including The Witch (2015), The Lighthouse (2019), and The Northman (2022).

The most recent was Nosferatu, set in Transylvania in the 1830s and starred Lily-Rose Depp, Nicholas Hoult, and Bill Skarsgård.

Eggers was questioned about how modern he might go for a project at another point in the conversation.

He responded, “I don’t know. I might go potentially to 1950 but before World War II, it is more inviting for my imagination.”

With Werwulf, his upcoming werewolf horror film, Eggers seems to be staying within his comfort zone for the historical period. Sjón and the filmmaker co-wrote the movie as well. Although there are few specifics, sources claim that the story takes place in England in the thirteenth century. Additionally, it has been reported that he will develop and direct a follow-up to the 1986 film Labyrinth.

A gothic story of obsession between a troubled young woman and the dreadful vampire who fell in love with her, Eggers' Nosferatu was a remake of 1922's Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror and left a trail of unimaginable horror in its wake. The movie was nominated for four Oscars.