Robert Eggers is one of the most exciting directors currently working in Hollywood, with all three of his films due out in 2024. Nosferatus – The Witch, The Lighthouseand The Northman – being a success for me and leaving me eager to see his next project. This next film is Nosferatus, one of the most anticipated horror films of 2024 and one of the films I’m most looking forward to during the holiday season.
However, no matter how excited you are Nosferatus – and I’m so excited about this gothic Christmas movie – It leaves me thinking, “Where is the original literary vampire’s blockbuster movie?” And I’m not talking about another Dracula, but Carmilla. Although she has had a few appearances and film adaptations, they haven’t reached the mainstream like Dracula. Until Nosferatus, banned and almost completely disappeared due to being an illegal adaptation of Draculareached heights on the big screen that Carmilla haven’t managed it yet.
Carmilla came before Dracula and Nosferatu
Carmilla was written in 1872, about 25 years before Dracula
Although there was vampire folklore before their debut (via Wired), Carmilla is one of the first literary vampires, if not the original literary vampire. Their creation and history are fundamental to the development of the fictional vampires we know and love today. However, she is much less represented in cinema than Dracula or Nosferatu, which appeared after Carmilla’s literary debut.
Carmilla is a novel from 1872, a gothic romance about a young victim of the titular vampire, becoming a fundamental part of vampire history as well as queer literary history. Fast forward to 1897, Bram Stoker delivers Draculawho has taken center stage time and time again on the big screen. However, there is still room for more gothic vampires in films.
Carmilla Needs Her Own Modern Film Adaptation
Dracula has Carmilla Beat when it comes to film adaptations
Before I read Dracula or watched a movie with him, I knew about the iconic vampire. Dracula is a touchstone of horror and pop culturehard to ignore due to cultural osmosis. He’s also popular for good reason and one of my favorite Universal Monsters. There are over 25 Dracula films out there, and that includes the multiple iterations of Nosferatu.
My first introduction to Carmilla wasn’t through any of her films.
Carmillaon the other hand, it has only seen a few film adaptations. Although she has a few films under her belt, they haven’t had as big of an impact on pop culture as her vampire contemporaries. My first introduction to Carmilla wasn’t through any of her films. With Dracula, on the other hand, I had a solid image of Bela Lugosi’s Count in my head long before I watched his film, or any Dracula film, for that matter.
Dracula, and in turn, Nosferatu, is a tale that we revisit countless times. While beloved, even by myself, there are other vampire classics to explore on the big screen. I have nothing to say against previous cinematic interpretations of Carmilla. Lower-budget horror films are not only feats of creative innovation, but also proof that this level of filmmaking can still result in profits, something that Terrifying 3the company’s success was demonstrated. However, Giving Carmilla the Hollywood treatment like what Nosferatu is getting could help officially put her in the mainstream.
If Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu is successful, it will make a pitch for a Carmilla adaptation
People Still Want Big Screen Adaptations of Classic Vampires
I want the latest classic vampire movie to do well for a number of reasons, and that will likely be the case based on NosferatusThe first unanimous reactions. Plus, as a fan of Eggers, I of course want his latest film to be a success, especially considering how remarkable and unique his previous projects were. Furthermore, Gothic films are not as common as other horror filmssuch as the slasher or haunted house subgenres. Gothic is a subgenre of horror that I root for because it offers a classic narrative but still has something new when it’s seen less in modern cinema.
Audiences still seem receptive to vampire fiction, especially when some of the best vampire TV shows of all time are just from the last decade.
Nosferatus proving that audiences want more gothic films could be a good sign for a Carmilla adaptation. Audiences still seem receptive to vampire fiction, especially when some of the best vampire TV shows of all time are just from the last decade. Additionally, several other classic monsters, such as Frankenstein and Wolf Man, are the stars of the upcoming films. The timing is perfect for a big budget Carmilla adaptationone that achieves mainstream status. It could be a new take on vampires, as it’s a story that has been explored much less than Dracula and his monstrous companions.