Eggers' Christmas Carol with Dafoe as Scrooge

Here's an intriguing development in the filmmaker-studio world. Robert Eggers, the celebrated director behind The Witch and Nosferatu, is reportedly being considered to direct a remake of A Christmas Carol for Warner Bros. He's also expressed interest in casting his frequent collaborator, Willem Dafoe, for the iconic role of Ebenezer Scrooge.

A Variety report clarifies that no deals are finalized yet—neither for Eggers nor Dafoe. However, Eggers is a candidate for the director's chair and hopes to bring Dafoe on board as the lead. Since the film is still in early development at the studio, it will be some time before this project materializes.

Eggers is currently committed to writing and directing Werwulf, a period horror film in development at Focus Features. This project takes priority, meaning his A Christmas Carol would likely follow afterward, potentially entering production as he completes his 13th-century nightmare. Of course, plans in Hollywood can always shift, so nothing is guaranteed.

Eggers has described Werwulf as "by far the darkest thing" he's ever written, which raises interesting questions about his approach to a classic like A Christmas Carol. He might lean into the grim aesthetic he's famous for, or he could potentially lighten his touch—though intuition suggests he may push the story's inherent darkness to its absolute limit, a prospect that is genuinely thrilling.

Werwulf was co-written with Sjón, Eggers' collaborator on The Northman and the upcoming Labyrinth sequel. It is scheduled for a Christmas 2026 release. An official announcement regarding A Christmas Carol is still pending, but if they target a 2027 release, it might be closer than we imagine.