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This article contains spoilers for "Murderbot" season 1, episode 2

Even if you're not familiar with Martha Wells' "The Murderbot Diaries" novel series, its Apple TV+ adaptation "Murderbot" soon makes it clear that the viewer is in for something unique. "Murderbot" revolves around a dystopian, corporate-controlled future where space travel and colonization are fueled by rampant capitalism. Its main character is a SecUnit security cyborg (Alexander Skarsgård) that has hacked its control module and is therefore technically free from obeying commands. Unfortunately, it also knows full well that it's a bit of an outdated model, and can see extremely vividly how it would be caught and recycled for parts the minute it went fully rogue. As such, it soldiers on, fulfilling its mission of protecting a group of scientists to the best of its erratic ability, passing its downtime by binging media, struggling with budding sensations of compassion ... and narrating the events...

Alexander Skarsgård is all set to turn producer for the first time, with Apple TV+’s Murderbot, all set for its release on May 16, 2025. Besides being the lead actor on the show, Skarsgård is venturing into TV production for the very first time, starting a new chapter in his professional journey.

Murderbot is based on Martha Wells’ novel series The Murderbot Diaries. It will be a 10-episode sci-fi comedy, created by Chris and Paul Weitz, famous for their works like Mozart and About a Boy. The series follows the story of a security Android gone rogue, juggling between understanding human emotions and watching his favorite soap operas.

Skarsgård gets deeply involved in the creative process of Murderbot Alexander Skarsgård in and as Murderbot (Credit: Apple TV+)

Murderbot, the security unit 238776431, secretly disables being obedient to pursue his own interests, which is to watch his favorite sci-fi operas. While the robot...

If there’s one thing that Apple TV+ does well, it's science fiction. Foundation, For All Mankind, and Silo have all been smash hits for the tech giant, and now we can add another to the list: Murderbot. Premiering May 16 and starring Alexander Skarsgård as a rogue security robot that secretly gains free will, the series has debuted with an impressive 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, signifying that the new sci-fi action comedy ticks all the right boxes.

Based on the series of novels by Martha Wells dubbed The Murderbot Diaries, Carly Lane from Collider says that "when held up against book-to-screen adaptations, Murderbot will arguably go down as one of the strongest so far this year." Critic Kate Sánchez echoed those sentiments in her review, adding that Apple has once again managed to deliver high quality science fiction:

"Murderbot continues Apple TV+'s winning streak with sci-fi television. This is...

Alexander Skarsgård has had an impressive and long career with roles spanning different emotional spans, continents, and genres. He has been a blood-thirsty vampire to different kinds of complex villains, to even existentially varying androids.

His performance in different roles has been unexpected, unforgettable, and layered to perfection. Whether it is the first time for you to see him perform in the upcoming Apple TV+ show, Murderbot, or have followed his work through the years. Let’s dive into some of his most notable works across the years.

1. True Blood: Eric Northman (2008-2014)

One of Skarsgård’s breakout roles was in True Blood, where he played the role of Eric Northman. He was a 1000-year-old Viking vampire in the show that aired on HBO. Initially, he was introduced as a merciless enforcer, but with time, his character arc grew brilliantly, and he became one of the most loved and complex characters on the show.

When it comes to the world of horror, the genre has allowed filmmakers to display their creativity by pushing the norms of traditional filmmaking. No less than a never-ending canvas and a boundless paint palette, filmmakers in the horror genre have the chance to go to the depths of human fear in whatever way they deem fit. Robert Eggers is one filmmaker who has utilized this space with perfection and creativity like no other.

Filmmaker and screenwriter Robert Eggers | Credit: Q with Tom Power / YouTube

A visionary, his films are not merely stories but highly immersive and engaging experiences that are crafted with an unparalleled dedication to detail and atmosphere. His works, although just 4 now till now, are celebrated for their historical themes, unsettling narratives, and an ability to evoke creeping dread that often lasts longer than the screen time of the film.

Although he has been in the industry for a long time,...

The beloved Murderbot book series by Martha Wells is coming to the small screen on May 16, and if you're a sci-fi lover, there's reason to get excited. Murderbot stars Alexander Skarsgård as a self-hacking security construct (called a SecUnit) who has overridden its own governor module, the bit of technology that forced it to obey humans. Now it has free will and can do whatever it wants...so long as the humans don't find out what it's done and melt it down to scrap. With such high stakes, it can't afford to slip up, so rather than drawing attention it distracts itself by binge-watching cheesy soap operas. Who among us hasn't?

The Murderbot Diaries books have won a slew of major science fiction literary awards, including the Hugo, Nebula, and Locus. But even more importantly, they've carved out a passionate fanbase of readers who can't get enough of the SecUnit's...

Deadline’s Most Valuable Blockbuster tournament has returned, and as you’ll see from the most profitable films of 2024 that we’re about to disclose, a movie’s game doesn’t end at the box office. Rather, its downstream revenues and subsequent home windows must be taken into account. Streaming continues to be a wildcard: While traditional motion picture studios such as Disney, Warner Bros, Sony, Paramount and Universal rely on lucrative pay two and pay three streamer deals to catapult their slates into the black, those streamers who’ve embraced theatrical (specifically Amazon MGM Studios and Apple Original Films) have a clandestine metric as to how they evaluate a movie’s post-cinema success. By traditional studio P&l standards, some of those releases would be considered flops. Given that, Apple and Amazon are excluded from this year’s survey. The Most Valuable Blockbuster series runs later rather than sooner as...

From starring in Lars von Trier’s Antichrist to Pixar’s Finding Nemo, Willem Dafoe has done it all, but it’s his involvement in the latter that had his costars in Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu startled. Throughout his decades-long run in Hollywood, Dafoe has proven to be one of the very best when it comes to versatility.

Dafoe’s career started back in the 1980s when he appeared on screen playing supporting roles. Little did the world know that they were about to get one of the greatest actors who is capable of flaunting his range in everything from superhero movies to animated flicks.

Willem Dafoe in The Lighthouse | Credit: A24

And nothing speaks versatility more than an actor’s ability to do a gritty retelling of Jesus’ tale in Martin Scorsese’s The Last Temptation of Christ and then a kid-centric animated feature.

Willem Dafoe’s costars didn’t...

Alexander SKARSGÅRD has always been drawn towards anarchy: disruptive characters who turn worlds upside down. Now, as he plays a rogue android in Murderbot, we meet him to discover what pushes his buttons

“Is there blood in my hair?”, asked Alexander Skarsgård’s Eric Northman, having just killed, dismembered and feasted upon some unlucky soul in HBO’s vampire saga True Blood. For many, the show was their first exposure to Skarsgård, who was starting as he meant to go on: anarchic, provocative, and unafraid to play characters with an unhealthy moral compass.

True Blood wasn’t *quite* the start. The son of Stellan Skarsgård, he acted in a few things as a child in Sweden before jacking it in, then appeared in 2001’s Zoolander, playing a model, Meekus, who gets blown up in a petrol station. After spending a few years in the Hollywood wilderness, Skarsgård finally broke through...

The wait is almost over for fans of Martha Wells' Hugo and Nebula Award-winning Murderbot novels.

Nearly two years after Apple TV+ secured the adaptation rights, the first poster and trailer for the highly anticipated sci-fi series have arrived, showcasing Emmy Award winner Alexander Skarsgård as the intriguing titular character.

In a previously released interview with Empire,Skarsgard revealed, "Ironically, I found Murderbot more relatable than most characters I’ve ever played. There’s a social awkwardness, or just trying to figure out how to fit into a group."

On the premise of the show, he went to explain, "It’s not interested in humans, humans are idiots. It’s kind of appalled by them, and it’s been treated horribly by all its clients up until this moment."

"But then it ends up on this weird planet with this weird group of humans that are outside the corporate system,...

Everyone say thank you to Robert Eggers for making Christmas at the movies that much more fun for the weirdos. The filmmaker behind "The Lighthouse" and "The Northman" cast a shadow over the 2024 holiday slate with his chilly re-imagining of the classic F.W. Murnau vampire film "Nosferatu," itself an illegal adaptation of Bram Stoker's "Dracula" novel. It was a massive hit with audiences and critics alike, pulling in an incredible box office haul to sweeten the forbidden deal. Indeed one of the reasons why there was so much intrigue around the film was the mystery behind its central villain.

The lanky bloodsucker known as Count Orlok had previously been played by Max Schreck in 1922 ("Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror"), Klaus Kinski -- albeit as Count Dracula -- in 1979 ("Nosferatu the Vampyre"), and Willem Dafoe in 2000 ("Shadow of the Vampire"). Each performance brought something new to the table, but a...

Stars: Bill Skarsgard, Nicholas Hoult, Lily-Rose Depp, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin, Willem Dafoe, Ralph Ineson, Simon McBurney | Written and Directed by Robert Eggers

F.W. Murnau’s silent vampire classic Nosferatu receives its second remake, courtesy of Robert Eggers, acclaimed director of The Witch, The Lighthouse and The Northman. As with its predecessors (including Werner Herzog’s 1979 remake with Klaus Kinski), it’s a thinly veiled retread of Bram Stoker’s Dracula with the names changed to avoid copyright infringement, and as such, it’s a slice of sumptuous Gothic horror with a palpable erotic charge, thanks to Eggers’ distinctive vision.

Set in early 19th century Germany, the film begins with newly married junior estate agent Thomas Hutter accepting a commission from his suspiciously twitchy boss Herr Knock to travel to Transylvania and oversee the signing of a contract by the sinister Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgard). Hutter finds the ordeal terrifying in the extreme,...

A little over a year ago, we learned that Alexander Skarsgard of Succession, The Legend of Tarzan, and The Northman had signed on to star in the ten-episode sci-fi series Murderbot, which is set up at Apple TV+. It was recently announced that the show is going to make its global premiere on Apple TV+ with the first two episodes on Friday, May 16, followed by new episodes every Friday through July 11 – and now, with the premiere just one month away, a trailer for the show has dropped online. You can check it out in the embed above.

The sibling duo of Chris and Paul Weitz (About a Boy) are writing, directing, and executive producing Murderbot under their Depth of Field banner. Andrew Miano is also executive producing for Depth of Field, while David S. Goyer executive produces alongside Keith Levine for Phantom Four. Wells is on board as consulting producer.

Alexander Skarsgård's career has been relatively quiet since starring in the recurring role of Lukas Matsson in the final season of Succession, but his next project just got a thrilling new look. Skarsgård stars alongside David Dastmalchian and Sabrina Wu in Murderbot, the upcoming space sci-fi thriller series releasing on May 16. Apple TV+ has officially released the first trailer for Murderbot, which can be found below and shows Skarsgård playing an SEC robot who has hacked his programming and gone rogue after acquiring free will. The series is based on Martha Wells’ best-selling book series The Murderbot Diaries. The first images of Murderbot were officially released a few days ago, and the series was written, directed, and produced by the Weitz brothers, who most recently worked on Moving On (Jane Fonda) and Fatherhood (Kevin Hart).

Best known for his role as Eric Northman in True Blood, Alexander Skarsgård has...

Scotland’s Sands International Film Festival of St Andrews will open on April 25 with a screening of the indie British comedy The Ballad of Wallis Island starring Carey Mulligan and Sian Clifford (Fleabag).

The comedy arrives at Sands after its debut at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. The film follows a lottery winner who pays his favorite folk duo to reunite and perform a concert on his remote island. Focus will release the pic on March 28.

Sands, which will run until April 27, will also screen the Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land, which tells the story of an unlikely friendship between a Palestinian filmmaker and an Israeli journalist, and Two Strangers Trying Not To Kill Each Other, a buzzy doc about a married couple as they reflect on their lives together and navigate ageing and the changes it brings. The film’s co-director and producer, Manon Ouimet, will attend the...

In a cinematic world overflowing with superheroes in capes, CGI spectacles, and neatly drawn battle lines, a character like Kraven the Hunter stands apart. Kraven the Hunter isn’t just another superhero film—it’s a raw exploration of obsession, survival, and identity. Driven by instinct rather than justice, Kraven’s journey invites comparisons to films that blend action with inner conflict. This list brings together six gripping movies where men are tested by nature, fate, and their own morality, similar to Kraven The Hunter. From vengeful loners to philosophical hunters, these stories echo Kraven’s brutal, introspective spirit in powerful and unforgettable ways.

Logan (2017) Directed by James Mangold

There’s something deeply affecting about Logan. It’s not just another superhero film—it’s a farewell. Set in a bleak near-future where mutants are nearly extinct, we find Logan (Hugh Jackman), worn down by time and trauma, working as...

Following an exceedingly positive reception for its live-action How To Train Your Dragon remake at CinemaCon, Universal Pictures brought out the main cast during its afternoon presentation to officially announce a sequel: How To Train Your Dragon 2.

The sequel will hit theaters June 11, 2027 - with director/writer Dean DeBlois and young stars Mason Thames ("Hiccup") and Nice Parker ("Astrid") all set to return.

The now-confirmed follow-up will adapt the animated sequel of the same name, which was met with widespread critical acclaim upon its release in 2014, and ultimately grossed over $621.5 million globally.

Before we get to that one, the first live-action adaptation opens in theaters June 13, and critics have been absolutely buzzing ever since its worldwide premiere at CinemaCon, so hopes are extremely high for the film's prospects this Summer.

The film stars the aforementioned Mason Thames (The Black Phone; Walker; For All Mankind) and Nico Parker (The Last of Us...

Having failed to meet Universal's standards, the spy thriller Black Bag will reportedly be given a digital release in a few days, less than a month after it debuted theatrically around the world. Directed by the prolific Steven Soderbergh, Black Bag has under-performed at the box office and stands little chance of recovering its reported production budget theatrically. It will, however, continue to make money once it lands on PVOD platforms. A couple of years ago, Universal and Focus Features witnessed the resurgence of Robert Eggers' The Northman on digital, after the historical epic delivered lukewarm results at the box office.

With $18 million domestically and another $12 million from overseas markets, Black Bag's cumulative global haul now stands at $31 million. This will probably be its final global box office milestone, as it heads towards streaming soon. Starring Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender, Black Bag is Soderbergh's second film of the year,...

It seems that, despite the incredibly vocal pleas for more original films on social media, the ones that do end up being released struggle at the box office. This time around, Steven Soderbergh's latest movie, Black Bag, is struggling to recoup its budget in ticket sales. Frequent Steven Spielberg collaborator David Koepp wrote the espionage thriller, and also features an impressive ensemble cast that Soderbergh masterfully uses to create a clever and complex narrative that has audiences guessing until the film's final minutes. Despite all that, Black Bag has continued to struggle during its second weekend in theaters.

As of this past weekend, Black Bag has made $15 million domestically, along with $9 million in international markets, for a current total of $24 million worldwide. Unfortunately, the movie reportedly had a budget of $50 million, meaning that this total box office haul is a little less than half of what it cost to produce Black Bag.

It’s ironic that the release of Netflix’s The Electric State coincided with the theatrical debut of Steven Soderbergh’s Black Bag. Films like The Electric State — poorly received mega-budget tent poles starring A-listers — usually inspire complaints about the lack of studio-led original films that are released theatrically. But Black Bag fits the bill, and yet, not enough people showed up to support it in cinemas. The espionage thriller had a disappointing debut last week and is still struggling to recover its reported production budget. Black Bag will soon be released on PVOD, which suggests that Universal always intended for it to appeal to audiences at home.

In cases like this, a film’s theatrical run is primarily used as a publicity tool for its eventual PVOD release. Black Bag has generated around $15 million domestically so far, and another $9 million from overseas markets, for a cumulative global haul of $24 million.

The story about the rightful heir to the throne returning to reclaim their kingdom is a tale as old as time. Probably the most popular iteration of this trope was seen in William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Then that was adapted in the form of Akira Kurosawa’s The Bad Sleep Well, Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff’s The Lion King, Vishal Bhardwaj’s Haider, and Robert Eggers’ The Northman. Guy Ritchie’s King Arthur: Legend of the Sword had Arthur finding out about his royal heritage after pulling Excalibur from the stone. James Wan’s Aquaman had the titular character living as the son of a lighthouse keeper and then claiming his birthright as the ruler of Atlantis. S.S. Rajamouli’s Baahubali: The Beginning was about Siva’s discovery that he was the son of the titular prince. In Game of Thrones, Jon...

Once upon a time, “indie director” meant someone scraping together pennies to shoot a movie in their backyard with a borrowed camera and a dream. These days? It’s a bit of a mixed bag. Some indie filmmakers stay true to their low-budget roots, crafting unique, artsy, and deeply personal stories.

Others take that indie street cred, sell out, and go on to direct the next billion-dollar superhero flick. Either way, the indie-to-mainstream pipeline is real, and Hollywood loves plucking fresh talent from the festival circuit and handing them a massive franchise to steer.

Sofia Coppola and Ana Lily Amirpour (Credits- Focus Features and @lilyinapad/Instagram)

This list is all about those directors who started small, whether by making weird experimental films, super personal dramas, or gritty low-budget thrillers, before making it big. They’re the ones who turned their indie successes into major Hollywood careers, proving that you don...

The Northman Photo: Universal

The Northman, 9pm, Film4, Monday, March 17 and at the same time on Saturday, March 22

If there’s one thing about Robert Eggers, when it comes to style he never does things by halves. Here it’s the dominant feature of Viking Amleth (Alexander Skarsgård), who is bent on vengeance after his uncle Fjölnir (Claes Bang) kills his father (Ethan Hawke). The women get short shrift, which is a bit of a shame given their strong presence in Icelandic saga, which you’d have thought co-writer Sjón might have been tempted to draw upon. This is big, masculine and decidedly unsubtle but there’s something enjoyable about watching a film so fully committed to gung-ho elemental action.

The Conversation , 9pm, BBC4, Thursday, March 20

This is a reasonably regular recommendation in the Stay-at-Home but I’m including it again because it’s one of my favourite Gene Hackman performances - although,...

The Northman Photo: Universal

The Northman, 9pm, Film4, Monday, March 17 and at the same time on Saturday, March 22

If there’s one thing about Robert Eggers, when it comes to style he never does things by halves. Here it’s the dominant feature of Viking Amleth (Alexander Skarsgård), who is bent on vengeance after his uncle Fjölnir (Claes Bang) kills his father (Ethan Hawke). The women get short shrift, which is a bit of a shame given their strong presence in Icelandic saga, which you’d have thought co-writer Sjón might have been tempted to draw upon. This is big, masculine and decidedly unsubtle but there’s something enjoyable about watching a film so fully committed to gung-ho elemental action.

The Conversation , 9pm, BBC4, Thursday, March 20

This is a reasonably regular recommendation in the Stay-at-Home but I’m including it again because it’s one of my favourite Gene Hackman performances - although,...

A horror remake starring Bill Skarsgård has just become a success on streaming after walking away empty-handed at the Oscars. After appearing in movies like Allegiant (2016) and Atomic Blonde (2017), Skarsgård rocketed to fame with the release of It in 2017, a Stephen King adaptation that featured the actor taking on the role of Pennywise the Clown to terrifying effect. The film was a massive horror hit, and Skarsgård reprised his role in 2019's It Chapter Two.

Skarsgård isn't ready to say goodbye to Pennywise just yet, however, and he's set to play the monster once more in HBO's Welcome to Derry prequel show. The actor's exploration of the horror genre extends beyond King adaptations, though, and he recently appeared in Barbarian (2022), a surprise hit from director Zach Cregger. After detours to the world of action with movies like John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023) and The Crow (2024), Skarsgård returned to horror at the...

John McTiernan is an action legend. He is the director who gave us Predator, Die Hard, The Hunt for Red October, Last Action Hero, and more—so many classics, which makes it such a shame we haven’t had a movie from the man in nearly 25 years.

While speaking with Forbes, McTeirnan said he does have a few ideas for another action movie. “I have 3 possibly 4 pieces that I would like to do, I don’t know whether I will,” he said. “Maybe I’ll have enough strength and energy. Or not.” If and when these movies do get made, McTeirnan said they would be financed independently because “there’s no studio left.“

“Why can’t you tell a difference between a Toyota, or a Volvo or a Peugeot, or a Ford or something manufactured in Korea? Because they’re all the same marketing,” McTeirnan said, comparing the movie industry to the car industry.

It’s Anya Taylor-Joy’s world. We are just living in it. Her latest film, The Gorge, recently became Apple TV+’s biggest launch. The streaming giant doesn’t normally disclose specific numbers, but exceptions tend to be made for Number 1, which was the case with the new flick. A recent report by Deadline reveals that the film has driven double-digit growth globally for the streaming service and boosted new viewership figures by over 80% since its debut on Friday, February 14. Impressive!

Taylor-Joy has been on a roll in the 2020s, wowing fans with her performances in Peaky Blinders, The Northman, Amsterdam, Super Mario Bros. Movie, and Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. She also did excellent work on The Menu, a movie that continues to soar, two years after its release. In February, the black comedy horror hit Netflix’s Top 10 chart in U.S., proving that quality never goes out of fashion.

Mickey 17, Warner Bros.’ expensive auteur sci-fi feature from Parasite Oscar winner Bong Joon Ho, finally arrives in theaters this weekend with a global outlook around $45M.

The Robert Pattinson movie carries a net production cost after UK tax credits of $118M before P&a. It will take turnstiles in overdrive for Mickey 17 to break even which, sources say, exists between $240M-$300M.

On the upside, U.S. tracking has improved for Mickey 17 from the teens to the point where a $20M+ domestic opening could be possible. Original sci-fi is a hard nut to expand an audience for; typically, it’s a cold genre aimed at older men. The gist of the campaign has been making Pattinson’s space cog worker — an “expendable” who sacrifices himself only to be “reprinted” or reborn again — relatable to general moviegoers. The comp among sci-fi movies is Denis Villeneuve’s 2016 Oscar winner Arrival,...

“The Gorge” is an Apple Original film that premiered on February 14, 2025. Directed by Scott Derrickson and written by Zach Dean, the movie blends elements of science fiction, action, and romance. The narrative centers on two snipers stationed on opposite sides of a mysterious chasm, tasked with guarding against unknown threats emerging from the depths. As they confront the enigmatic dangers, an unexpected bond forms between them. In the following article we will take a look at the main cast of “The Gorge” and the characters they play.

The Gorge – Complete Cast & Characters Guide Miles Teller as Levi Kane

Miles Teller portrays Levi Kane, an American sniper assigned to guard the western tower overlooking the gorge. His mission is to neutralize any entities that emerge from the abyss, despite the uncertainty surrounding what lies beneath. Teller is renowned for his roles in films such as “Top Gun: Maverick,” “Whiplash,” and “War Dogs.

Apple TV+ has released the first images from Lucky, a limited series starring and executive produced by Anya Taylor-Joy. Based on Marissa Stapley’s bestselling novel, the series follows a woman who left behind a life of crime but is forced to return to it in a final attempt to break free from her past.

The cast includes Drew Starkey, Annette Bening, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, and Timothy Olyphant. The series is produced in collaboration with Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine and co-showrun by Jonathan Tropper and Cassie Pappas.

Production began in Las Vegas before shifting to Los Angeles, where Lucky secured a $10.6 million California tax credit as an untitled Apple Studios project. The effort to bring more productions to Los Angeles has gained momentum following the January wildfires.

The first images show Taylor-Joy and Starkey in a quiet moment against a city skyline, hinting at a layered connection between their characters.

The entire plot of Nosferatu revolves around Bill Skarsgard's Count Orlok wanting Lily-Rose Depp's Ellen more than anything in the world and stopping at nothing to get her; however, the reasons behind his lust are not entirely spelled out.

After a successful theatrical run (the movie grossed $178 million on a $50 million budget) that lasted longer than most Focus Features titles, Nosferatu began streaming on Peacock, allowing an entirely new audience to experience the fantasy horror.

The movie is directed by Robert Eggers and follows a vampire as he sacrifices everything to reach a woman who unknowingly calls out to him (read a full plot breakdown of Nosferatu here).

Read full article on The Direct.

Directed by horror master Robert Eggers and starring Lily-Rose Depp, Bill Skarsgård, Nicholas Hoult and Willem Dafoe, Nosferatuwas a project a long time in the making. Eggers first set his his sights on re-making the 1920s horror classic in 2015, immediately following the success of his debut film, The Witch – only to be met with setback after setback until he finally shelved it until further notice. It's almost divine intervention that his passion project finally came to fruition in the mid-2020s, in the immediate aftermath of a plague, in the midst of a horror renaissance and a spirited revival of analog technology and practical effects.

Together with friend and longtime collaborator, cinematographer Jarin Blaschke, Eggers used an amalgamation of both practical and digital effects to recreate the distinct gothic horror look for his iteration of the beloved silent horror film, giving it his signature dark, surrealistic and lurid flair. In...

We have suggestions if you’re looking for an awards contender to watch on subscription streaming or on-demand video this weekend. Our list includes an Oscar-nominated top pick that just hit streaming; another Oscar-nominated new release on VOD; a movie that wasn’t nominated for an Oscar but picked up other nominations and wins; a potential future contender now on VOD; and a streaming recommendation that would make for a nice double feature with the top pick.

Top pick: Nosferatu

After a successful theatrical run where it became one of Focus Features’ highest-grossing movies ever, director Robert Eggers’ gothic horror remake has crossed the ocean in a dirt-filled coffin and come to rest on Peacock. The beautifully made film has been nominated for four Academy Awards in craft categories: Best Cinematography (Jarin Blaschke), Best Costume Design (Linda Muir), Best Production Design (Craig Lathrop), and Best Makeup and Hairstyling.

It’s...

Alexander Skarsgård has been a lot of things in his career. From a vampire in True Blood and a Viking in The Northman, to a Swedish CEO in Succession and Randall Flagg in Stephen King's The Stand. Now, he's playing a security robot in the new Apple TV+ sci-fi series Murderbot, and we have some first-look images to share of Skarsgård in his latest small-screen offering.

The images (seen below) come courtesy of Apple and showcase a little of what we can expect from Skarsgård in the new series. Based on the bestselling books by author Martha Wells, Murderbot focuses on a self-hacking security construct who is horrified by human emotion yet drawn to its vulnerable clients. Played by Skarsgård, Murderbot must hide its free will and complete a dangerous assignment when all it really wants is to be left alone to watch futuristic soap operas and figure out its place in the universe.

A little over a year ago, we learned that Alexander Skarsgard of Succession, The Legend of Tarzan, and The Northman had signed on to star in the ten-episode sci-fi series Murderbot, which is set up at Apple TV+. Now, it has been announced that the show is going to make its global premiere on Apple TV+ with the first two episodes on Friday, May 16, followed by new episodes every Friday through July 11. A pair of first look images have also been unveiled, and you can check those out in this article.

The sibling duo of Chris and Paul Weitz (About a Boy) are writing, directing, and executive producing Murderbot under their Depth of Field banner. Andrew Miano is also executive producing for Depth of Field, while David S. Goyer executive produces alongside Keith Levine for Phantom Four. Wells is on board as consulting producer.

Coming our way from Paramount Television Studios,...

Grief comes in many forms; sometimes, it can drive survivors apart instead of bringing them together. In Michael Shannon‘s directorial debut, Eric Larue, Judy Greer, and Alexander Skarsgård experience firsthand the damage loss can inflict on two people struggling to survive an overwhelming tragedy. Today, Magnolia Pictures debuted a trailer and poster for Eric Larue, highlighting the cast’s sturring performances and Shannon’s talent behind the camera.

It was written by Brett Neveu and based on his 2002 play, which used the same name. Eric Larue follows two parents who, in the aftermath of a shocking crime at the hands of their son, seek solace in rival religious congregations. The film world premiered at the Tribeca Festival and also stars Alexander Skarsgård, Alison Pill, Tracy Letts, Paul Sparks, and Annie Parisse. Magnolia has North American rights and will release the film in theaters on April 4. Eric Larue also comes...

Stars: Anya Taylor-Joy, Miles Teller, Sigourney Weaver, Sope Dirisu | Written by Zach Dean | Directed by Scott Derrickson

Drasa is a sniper for hire and business has been good. At least until she finds out her identity has been compromised. Needing to drop out of site for a while she accepts a year-long assignment operating a watchtower overlooking a mysterious gorge that doesn’t exist on any maps.

Directly across from it is another tower, this one manned by Levi a former Marine sniper. He’s been recruited by Bartholomew who tells him its a chance for him to pull himself out of the bottle and get his life back together.

Why are the towers there? That has something to do with what’s in the gorge, creatures referred to as The Hollow Men, after a poem by T.S. Eliot. Nobody knows what they are, but they wiped out a force...

Less than two months after its theatrical debut, Robert Eggers' Nosferatu has set its streaming release date, and it's sooner than you might think. The best part? An extended cut will also be available to stream, featuring even more footage of Bill Skarsgård's Count Orlok. Debuting on Christmas Day, 2024, the remake of the 1922 German classic managed to pull in $176.5 million at the box office, and was heralded by many as one of the best horror movies of the year.

Per The Wrap, Nosferatu will make its streaming debut on Peacock starting Feb. 21, which is less than a week away at the time of this writing. The extended cut will also be made available at that time, and features an additional four minutes of footage not seen in the 132-minute theatrical version. It might not seem like a lot, but honestly, we'll take all we can get of Eggers' fantastic vision,...

Robert Eggers had made a name for himself as a very creative and original director before tackling Nosferatu, a remake of the 1922 German silent film by F.W. Murnau. However, even with the success he's had previously, Nosferatu reached new heights.

The gothic horror had been a longtime passion project for the director, who intended to direct Nosferatufollowing his 2015 directorial debut, The Witch. He decided to focus on other projects before that, helming 2019's The Lighthouse and 2022's The Northman instead. Nosferatu hit theaters on Dec. 25, 2024, and will head to streaming on Peacock on Feb. 21, Variety reports.

RelatedRobert Eggers' Nosferatu Gets Glowing Review From 1 of Hollywood's Most Iconic Directors

Nosferatu and filmmaker Robert Eggers get high praise from one of cinema's most revered directors.

The move comes after a stunning theatrical run and a brief time on digital. The film became available to rent or purchase on VOD and digital platforms...

Following the film’s global success theatrically, Focus Features’ Nosferatu begins streaming exclusively on Peacock on February 21. Peacock will also stream the film’s never-before-seen-in-theaters extended cut.

Rated R for bloody violent content, graphic nudity and some sexual content, Nosferatu has grossed $175.9 million at the global box office. The film earned $95.5 million at North American theaters and $80.4 million from international markets.

The film is nominated for five BAFTA Awards and four Academy Awards. The Academy Award nominations include Best Cinematography (Jarin Blaschke), Best Costume Design (Linda Muir), Best Makeup and Hairstyling and Best Production Design (Craig Lathrop; Set Decoration: Beatrice Brentnerová).

From acclaimed director Robert Eggers, Nosferatu stars Bill Skarsgård, Nicholas Hoult, Lily-Rose Depp, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin, Ralph Ineson, Simon McBurney and Willem Dafoe.

Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu is a gothic tale of obsession between a haunted young woman and the terrifying vampire infatuated with her, causing untold horror in its wake.

Exclusive: Film Constellation has boarded sales on Oscar Hudson’s Straight Circle, a dark comedy on the absurdities of conflict, and revealed a first image as principal photography wraps in South Africa.

The work follows two soldiers from opposing nations who are stationed at a shared barrack on a desolate border. As they grapple with their identities, loyalties, and the absurdity of their situation, their isolation slowly gives way to an unfathomable nightmare that will blur the line between friend and foe.

Straight Circle is the feature debut of London-born filmmaker Hudson whose short film Joy in People premiered at BFI London Film Festival and won the Audience Award at Rotterdam IFFR.

He has also won praise for his work directing music videos for Radiohead, Bonobo and James Blake, and for brands including Nike and Apple, and has been awarded a Primetime Emmy, Best Young Director at Cannes Lions and...

A few months ago, legendary director and cinematic gatekeeper Martin Scorsese shared a recommendation for the horror film I Saw the TV Glow. Now, Scorsese has taken a moment to hype up another horror film, and this time it was The Witch, The Lighthouse, and The Northman writer/director Robert Eggers‘ remake of F.W. Murnau’s 1922 silent classic Nosferatu.

An unofficial adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, the original Nosferatu has the following synopsis: In this highly influential silent horror film, the mysterious Count Orlok (Max Schreck) summons Thomas Hutter (Gustav von Wangenheim) to his remote Transylvanian castle in the mountains. The eerie Orlok seeks to buy a house near Hutter and his wife, Ellen (Greta Schroeder). After Orlok reveals his vampire nature, Hutter struggles to escape the castle, knowing that Ellen is in grave danger. Meanwhile Orlok’s servant, Knock (Alexander Granach), prepares for his master to arrive at his new home.

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Nosferatu is coming — the hit gothic horror movie was released on Christmas Day, and landed VOD platforms last month. It’s available to rent or buy on streaming services like Prime Video and Apple TV.

buy or rent on prime video

Fans of physical media can pick up the Blu-ray when it releases on Feb. 18, or pre-order it now. It’s available on 4K Uhd Blu-ray, HD Blu-ray,...

When you think of Nosferatu, romanticism doesn’t necessarily come to mind. Blood, maybe, and fangs. But it was something director Robert Eggers envisioned for his interpretation of the classic story, as he told director of photography Jarin Blaschke before filming began.

“He made it clear that it was going to be a romantic movie, as far as how it looked and how it felt and how it differentiates from the original — it’s important to do something new and reflect the time of the characters and not necessarily what someone has already done,” the cinematographer says of Eggers’ desire to stand apart from F.W. Murnau’s 1922 classic. “From very early on, the romantic game became the focus.”

The film was lighted to make each scene look as if it were constantly basked in the pale glow of moonlight, even the interior shots. Having used the same technique on Eggers...

This post contains spoilers for "Nosferatu."

What better way to celebrate the festive season of 2024 than with a supernatural horror nightmare. With "Nosferatu," director Robert Eggers resurrected a vampire classic in the form of a scary fever dream just in time for Christmas of last year, reimagining the original 1922 film as a stylish horror with a sort of perverse fairy tale at its center. In Eggers' film, the titular vamp, played by Bill Skarsgård, lusts after Lily-Rose Depp's Ellen Hutter, eventually traveling from his decaying castle in the mountains of Transylvania to her hometown of Wisburg, Germany. There, he feeds on her blood in a pseudo-sexual embrace that ultimately results in his death when the sunlight interrupts the pair's perverse tryst.

If upsetting vampire love affairs aren't your thing, Eggers made sure to do what he does best by constructing a world that absorbs you so fully, you genuinely...

The Witch, The Lighthouse, The Northman, and Nosferatu writer/director Robert Eggers has dealt with some dark subject matter over the course of his career – but the darkest story is yet to come. No, not in his recently announced Labyrinth sequel, but in another recently announced project: the creature feature Werwulf, which he’s making for Focus Features, aiming for a Christmas Day 2026 theatrical release.

Eggers has written the screenplay for Werwulf with Sjón, his co-writer on the Viking saga The Northman. Details are being kept under wraps, but The Hollywood Reporter’s sources told them “the story is set in 13th century England. The script also features dialogue that was true to the time period and has translations and annotations for those uninitiated to Old English. Initially, Eggers was planning on shooting the feature in black and white, but that is no longer the case. Suffice to say that...

Robert Eggers ended 2024 with a bang with his remake of the classic silent horror film Nosferatu. The movie, which Eggers wrote and directed, was a long-time passion project for the creative. The development of the film went all the way back to 2015, shortly after the release of the director's debut film, The Witch, at the Sundance Film Festival that year. Now, nearly a decade later, Eggers has finally completed the project, with Nosferatu receiving critical acclaim and even an Academy Award nomination. Now, the director has already begun the early stages of development for his next project, tentatively titled Werewulf.

While taking questions at a panel, Eggers briefly touched upon his next film, which was given a December 2026 release date in keeping with the holiday horror tradition that started with Nosferatu. All the director had to say about the movie was, "It's a medieval werewolf movie. It's also the darkest...

Viking movies have been a consistent film genre since the 1950s, but the concept has received a place in pop culture due to the widely successful TV series Vikings Valhalla and its predecessor, Vikings. The movies based on these Norse people have varied in prominence and historical accuracy. However, most of them cover similar themes, focusing on the brutal and brave lifestyle of the Viking warriors.

Many fans of the Viking genre are interested in the historical accuracy of the narrative but are also invested in the entertainment and cohesiveness of the storyline. Some successful movies have impressed these viewers, including The Vikings and The Northman. Other underrated films, such as The 13th Warrior, have also captivated viewers despite the initial criticism they received. This collection of Viking movies is the overall best in the niche genre.

This article was updated on February 7, 2025, by Christopher Raley: Viking movies represent a niche category of films,...

Martin Scorsese is in awe of Robert Eggers.

During a recent Q&a with TCM’s Dave Karger (via World of Reel), Scorsese praised Eggers’ auteurism on his recent film “Nosferatu.”

“It’s amazing,” Scorsese said of the film. “Anything this guy does is amazing. That’s one film you don’t do much after seeing. You’re still in the world. You’re in Transylvania and it’s really … Man, he’s something.”

While Scorsese isn’t quite known for horror, Eggers has become a modern master of the genre. Eggers, who previously helmed “The Witch,” “The Northman,” and “The Lighthouse,” announced his fifth film “Werwulf” in January 2025.

“Werwulf” will be a werewolf horror movie set in 13th century England, and will see Eggers re-team with Focus Features. Eggers cowrote the script with his “The Northman” scribe Sjón. Like “Nosferatu,” “Werwulf” will be getting a holiday release; the film...

In contemporary times, there is no filmmaker who does horror as well as Robert Eggers. With films rooted deeply in history, mythology, and folklore, Eggers brilliantly plunges into the depths of history and horror to bring about the most bone-chilling experience. After giving us an impeccable horror film with Nosferatu, the filmmaker is going into the eerie depths of 13th-century England, to bring an even more terrifying film: Werwulf.

Robert Eggers via Moviefone / Credits: YouTube

A werewolf horror project, the filmmaker has written it along with Sjón, with whom he previously collaborated on The Northman. If his past work is any indication, Werwulf is bound to be a harrowing, mud-soaked, and unsettling descent into the world of the supernatural. While not much has been revealed about Eggers; next epic, the question remains who will be perfect enough for the film?

Eggers has a keen eye for casting actors who can balance intensity,...