Nosferatu director Robert Eggers tried to make a Frankenstein movie, but gave up after two weeks: "It definitely sucked"

Nosferatu director Robert Eggers has revealed that he once started working on a movie adaptation of Frankenstein, but stopped after two weeks.

"Sometimes you know you've got a dud," Eggers said during an interview with Curzon. "I'm super, super excited for Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein. But when my son was born, I had an unconscious urge, I'm sure because of that, but as I started writing, I was like, 'Oh yeah, this is why.' But as I started to try to do Frankenstein, which after two weeks, I was like, 'There's no way I can do this, it's impossible.' It definitely sucked, I’ll tell you that."

Guillermo del Toro's version of Mary Shelley's iconic Gothic novel is coming to Netflix this year and stars Oscar Isaac as the titular scientist who brings new life into the world by way of a horrifying creature. Jacob Elordi is playing Frankenstein's monster, and the movie's cast also includes Mia Goth and Christoph Waltz. The Pan's Labyrinth and Pacific Rim director has wanted to make the movie for almost 20 years.

As for Eggers, his latest movie is another Gothic classic: Nosferatu. Bill Skarsgård stars as the vampire Count Orlock, alongside Lily-Rose Depp, Nicholas Hoult, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin, and Willem Dafoe. He's also directed The Witch, The Lighthouse, and The Northman, and he's also got a medieval project in the works titled The Knight.

Nosferatu is out now in theaters. For more, check out our picks of the best upcoming movies or take a look at our guide to 2025's biggest movie release dates.