Robert Eggers is returning to another classic story. The Nosferatu director is developing a new adaptation of William Shakespeare‘s Romeo and Juliet. The project attracted interest from several major studios, but Focus Features ultimately won the rights. The bidding war involved A24, Sony Pictures, and Warner Bros.
According to The Hollywood ReporterEggers is setting up the Romeo and Juliet adaptation at Focus Features. He will write and direct the film, while the project currently has no announced cast or additional plot details. It will reunite Eggers with Focus Features, which has released his previous films The Northman and Nosferatu.
Eggers is known for putting his own distinctive spin on historical and gothic stories. While Romeo and Juliet might take him into a different genre, Shakespeare’s tragic romance could still fit the filmmaker’s interest in dark and atmospheric storytelling.
What else has Robert Eggers directed besides Nosferatu?
Eggers made his feature directorial debut with The Witch in 2015. The horror film stars Anya Taylor-Joy as Thomasin, a young woman whose family moves to an isolated farm in 1630s New England.
He next directed The Lighthouse in 2019. The psychological horror film stars Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe as two lighthouse keepers who struggle with isolation while working on a remote island.
Eggers then moved into historical action with The Northman in 2022. Alexander Skarsgård stars as Amleth, a Viking prince who sets out to avenge his father’s murder. The cast includes Nicole Kidman, Anya Taylor-Joy, Ethan Hawke, and Willem Dafoe.
Eggers returned to gothic horror with Nosferatu in 2024. Bill Skarsgård played Count Orlok, while Lily-Rose Depp and Nicholas Hoult led the human cast. The film became another collaboration between Eggers and Focus Features.
Eggers is now preparing Werwulf, which will arrive in theaters on December 25, 2026. The film stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Willem Dafoe, and Lily-Rose Depp. His Romeo and Juliet adaptation will add another period story to his growing filmography.