Where Was Robert Eggers' Nosferatu Filmed?

Robert Eggers wants to make vampires scary again with his new, R-rated take on Nosferatu (in theaters everywhere Christmas Day; click here for tickets). To accomplish that goal, however, he needed to go back to the earliest stories regarding the undead bloodsuckers we're so used to seeing onscreen.

"The folk vampire is not a suave dinner-coat-wearing seducer, nor a sparkling, brooding hero," the writer-producer-director states in the production notes for the movie. "The folk vampire embodies disease, death, and sex in a base, brutal, and unforgiving way. This is the vampire I wanted to exhume for a modern audience."

Such an old world approach to the material necessitated an old world aesthetic, circa 1838. And where do you go when you want to capture a bygone century? Well, you head to Europe, of course!

According to the official press notes, Eggers' longtime production designer Craig Lathrop constructed a total of 60 sets, which included the streets of the fictional Baltic city of Wisborg. “I wanted to build as much as possible,” Eggers explains. “It gives me the most amount of control with how [cinematographer] Jarin [Blaschke] and I like to move the camera.”

He continues: “It was emotional for me, seeing it take shape. We built this tiny farm for The Witch, which at the time felt like such an achievement. Here, we’ve built five city blocks. That was one of many builds for the film, so it was spectacular."

“What’s great about working on a Robert Eggers film is it feels like everybody is bringing their ‘A’ game," adds Lathrop. "It’s not one department; it’s all the departments working together and wanting to help Rob create this vision."

The film also made use of several real-world locations in and around Prague such as Invalidovna (former housing for war veterans), Rožmitál Castle (the medieval structure was named a cultural heritage site in the late 1950s), and Pernštejn Castle (built by Moravian royals in the Middle Ages).

The Prague Reporter adds even more context on the project's real-world locations, writing: "Adding to the eerie atmosphere are spellbinding landscapes across the Czech Republic, which [Nicholas] Hoult’s character travels through on his way to Orlok’s castle (at one point, he looks out across the Prachov Rocks). Rural locations throughout the story, such as the beaches of Tušť and the Great America Quarry (nicknamed the Czech Grand Canyon) are hauntingly employed; Czech forests have popped up in a number of Hollywood films, but never to such evocative effect."

Corvin Castle, also known as Hunyad Castle or Hunedoara Castle, Castelul Huniazilor or Castelul Corvinilor, is a Gothic-Renaissance castle in Hunedoara, Transylvania, Romania. Photo: Bildagentur-online/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

The film has received widespread critical acclaim and currently holds a score of 90% on Rotten Tomatoes. The site's consensus reads: "Marvelously orchestrated by director Robert Eggers, Nosferatu is a behemoth of a horror film that is equal parts repulsive and seductive."

Is Nosferatu streaming on Peacock?

The 2024 horror film Nosferatu will stream on Peacock later this year. Check back for details!

Looking for more bloodsucking action? Head on over to Peacock for Dark Shadows, The Vampire Diaries, Vampire Academy, Nosferatu the Vampyre, Let the Right One in, Vampire in Vegas, and more!