Production on Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu has been underway at Barrandov Studio for much of the past month, and now the filmmakers are shooting on location in Prague and other locales throughout the Czech Republic.
Nosferatu, an update of the 1922 horror classic that was itself an unauthorized adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, stars Bill Skarsgård as the vampire Count Orlok opposite Lily-Rose Depp as the object of his affections and Nicholas Hoult as her husband.
Willem Dafoe, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin, Ralph Ineson, and Simon McBurney have also been cast in the film in unspecified roles. Last week, Dafoe was spotted at Vinohrady bistro The Borsch chowing down on some Ukrainian specialties.
Over the weekend and into early this week, production on Nosferatu is taking place at Prague’s historic 19th century Invalidovna complex, a registered national landmark and a popular location for filmmakers visiting the Czech Republic.
On Monday afternoon, dozens of extras in period costume for Nosferatu could be glimpsed outside the side entrance to Invalidovna, with crew members and equipment surrounding three of the four sides of the large Prague 8 complex.
Prague’s Baroque Invalidovna complex was built in the 1730s by architect Kilián Ignác Dientzenhofer, and served as a military hospital for nearly two centuries. It has subsequently housed a military museum and archive, and largely fallen into disrepair over the past half-century.
Despite this, the Invalidovna complex has been an especially popular location for international filmmakers. Portions of Amadeus were shot at Invalidovna, as were scenes for The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, Hellboy, and many other productions shot in Prague.
Last week, filming for Nosferatu also took place at the historic town of Rožmitál pod Tremšín and Rožmitál Castle, a decaying 13th-century structure that could potentially be playing Count Orlok’s castle home or another key location.
Director Robert Eggers had originally intended to shoot Nosferatu following his breakout debut The Witch, but turned to The Lighthouse and The Northman as production the vampire film took time to come to fruition. Harry Styles and Anya Taylor-Joy had previously been attached to star in the project, but both dropped out due to scheduling conflicts.
Prague production on Nosferatu began in late February and is slated to run through May 18. Look for the movie to hit cinemas in 2024.