Following a festive season hit with last year's Nosferatu, Robert Eggers is turning his eye to a more classic Christmas tale, with Deadline reporting that the director is set to helm a new take on Charles Dickens' classic ghost story, A Christmas Carol.
Deadline reports that Warner Bros. is in development on the project, with Eggers writing and directing. Currently, although casting is not yet underway, the top choice for the role of Ebenezer Scrooge is apparently longtime Eggers collaborator (and, if we're honest, the man pretty much born for the role), Willem Dafoe.
Per Deadline, Chris Columbus and Elenor Columbus are attached to produce A Christmas Carol via Maiden Voyage, with Eggers also set to produce.
Having proved his period chops with films like The Witch and The Lighthouse, Eggers could more than accurately handle the source material – first published in 1843, the Victorian tale follows the story of elderly miser Scrooge, who is visited by three ghosts urging him to become a better man. The timeless tale has been adapted for screen numerous times, with notable examples including The Muppet Christmas Carol and the 1970 musical Scrooge.
Should A Christmas Carol go ahead, it'll join Eggers other announced upcoming projects, the 13th century-set werewolf horror Werwulf set for release next Christmas and his Labyrinth sequel as big horror pics to watch out for in the next couple of years. Look out for updates as we get them.
