Over the years, I’ve had the pleasure of witnessing numerous movie interpretations of Charles Dickens’ timeless novella, “A Christmas Carol“. From the early days of silent films to modern cinema, these adaptations have run the gamut from strict adherence (like 1951’s “Scrooge” with Alastair Sim in the lead) to playful and whimsical (such as the Muppet-led “The Muppet Christmas Carol” in 1992). The genre has also seen musical adaptations, such as those starring Albert Finney in 1970 and Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell in the more recent “Spirited” from 2022. Animation has also graced our screens with performances like the performance-capture and CG-animated version from 2009, while made-for-TV versions have been a staple too, with George C. Scott leading the charge in the 1984 adaptation that many consider to be the definitive one.
Movie director Robert Eggers, known for creating chilling films like “The Witch” and the vampire horror movie “Nosferatu,” is rumored to be working on a spine-tingling adaptation of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.” As reported by Deadline, Eggers is penning the script and will take charge of directing for Warner Bros., with Willem Dafoe, who starred in “The Lighthouse” and “The Northman,” being eyed to portray the character of Ebenezer Scrooge.
This year, Eggers plans to debut his historical horror-thriller, titled “Werwulf,” which revolves around werewolves and is set during the 13th century. The movie is slated for release on Christmas Day 2026, coincidentally the same timeframe when “Nosferatu” raked in $181 million worldwide in 2024, making it Eggers’ most profitable film to date.
Chris Columbus, who directed the Harry Potter series and has produced all of Eggers’ films along with executive producer Elenor Columbus under their production company Maiden Voyage Pictures, are set to produce Eggers’ adaptation of A Christmas Carol for Warner Bros. The studio had previously created a television version of A Christmas Carol in 1999, starring Patrick Stewart as Scrooge.
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Understood as one of Dickens’ most iconic works, “A Christmas Carol” revolves around the stingy and Scrooge-like character Ebenezer Scrooge. Haunted by three spectral entities – the Spirit of Christmas Yet Gone By, the Spirit of Christmas Now, and the Spirit of Christmas Yet to Come – these ghostly figures at times are terrifying, but ultimately lead to Scrooge’s transformation. The tale concludes with a changed Scrooge who learned to celebrate Christmas joyously, demonstrating that he knew how to truly embrace the festive spirit.
Last year, it seemed that Eggers may have given a hint about his take on “A Christmas Carol.” Speaking with IndieWire, he said, “I’ve got five projects in the works, because you never know what will resonate with audiences or get the go-ahead. [‘Nosferatu’] was rejected three times. I thought for sure I wasn’t making a movie that didn’t get greenlit twice, but here we are. So you just have to keep a lot of irons in the fire.”
Eggers is also connected to write and direct a sequel to 1986’s “Labyrinth” for Sony’s TriStar and told IndieWire he has an interest in making a Western at some point.
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2025-06-12 04:40