Nosferatuhit theaters on Christmas 2024, delivering a new take on the 1922 silent film of the same name. Both films are led by a noble turned vampire, who goes by the name Count Orlok. Originally portrayed by Max Schreck, Count Orlok is recently portrayed by Bill Skarsgård in Robert Eggers' fourth film.
The originalNosferatuis also an adaptation ofDracula; althoughRobert Eggers chose to remakeNosferatuinstead of just adaptingDracula. UnlikeDracula,the name of this film is not necessarily the name of the leading vampire. However, a popular children’s show on Nickelodeon made it seem otherwise. In a 2002 episode ofSpongeBob SquarePants, a closing joke calls Count Orlok “Nosferatu,” as opposed to his proper name.
SpongeBob Introduced Orlock To Children, But Not In Name
The Graveyard Shift Episode Of SpongeBob SquarePants Ends On A Nosferatu Joke
In 2002,SpongeBob SquarePants, Season 2, Episode 36A, “Graveyard Shift” aired on Nickelodeon, and it’s considered one ofthe scariestSpongeBob SquarePantsepisodes. In it, Squidward tries to scare SpongeBob with a fake legend about the Hash-Slinging Slasher, and several strange occurrences happen afterward, including the flickering lights. Turns out, Count Orlok is behind this, with SpongeBob and co. lightheartedly shaking their heads in disapproval while they call him “Nosferatu.”
Nosferatu: Why Bill Skarsgård’s Count Orlok Has A Mustache Explained By Director
Nosferatu director explains why it is historically accurate for Bill Skarsgård’s version of Count Orlok to have a mustache in Nosferatu.
Since the name Orlock is never mentioned in the episode, young watchers who never sawNosferatubefore may think “Nosferatu” is the Count’s name. Count Orlok would be used several more times throughoutSpongeBob SquarePants, and like the first time, the word “Nosferatu” is treated as his name.
What Nosferatu Really Means
Nosferatu Is Another Word For Vampire
While Nosferatu is not Count Orlok’s name, it does have meaning. AsSyFypoints out, “nosferatu” is an archaic, Romanian word for Vampire. SyFy also suggests that “nosferatu” could be connected to the Romanian word for “offensive one” – “nesuferitu.” Even inRobert Eggers’Nosferatu, which is a stunning remakeof the original, Willem Dafoe’s Professor Albin Eberhart von Franz calls Count Orlok the nosferatu – the vampire.
How Robert Eggers Feels About SpongeBob’s Nosferatu Episode
Robert Eggers Is Thankful To SpongeBob For Introducing Kids To Count Orlok
WhileSpongeBob SquarePantsdoes not use his actual name, it introduces a generation of children to Count Orlok. Director Robert Eggers is aware of the fact that thisSpongeBob SquarePantsepisode introduced many viewers to Count Orlok and the idea ofNosferatufor the first time.
Before Bill Skarsgård, 2024’s Nosferatu Nearly Cast 3 Famous Actors For Count Orlok (Including A Star Who Already Portrayed Him 24 Years Ago)
Nosferatu star Bill Skarsgård reveals that before he landed the role of Count Orlok, director Robert Eggers nearly cast three famous actors instead.
During a red carpet interview withThe Hollywood Reporter,NosferatudirectorRobert Eggers reacted to young audiences being introduced to the vampireviaSpongeBob SquarePants. He reminisced over his own similar experience withMuppet Babies, which was his introduction to Lon Chaney’sPhantom of the Opera, as wellCyrano de Bergerac.
These children’s shows serve as introductions to classic films for some, something Eggers is grateful for. “That weird cartoon gave me a lot of exposure to a lot of movies that I watched when I was a little older, with memories from Muppet Babies,” Eggers told The Hollywood Reporter. “So, thanks SpongeBob.”
Nosferatu
Cast
Nosferatu is a remake of the 1922 silent film of the same name from director F. W. Murnau. Robert Eggers is crafting his own version of the story for the reboot as writer and director, with Bill Skarsgård stepping into the shoes of Count Orlok. Nosferatu tells the tale of a young woman who falls victim to a vampire utterly infatuated with her.
