Nosferatu and The Lighthouse auteur Robert Eggers is set to write and direct a new adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic novel “A Christmas Carol” for Warner Bros. Pictures. He will also produce the project alongside Chris Columbus and Eleanor Columbus.

Eggers recently found huge box office success with his critically acclaimed and four-time Academy Award-nominated spin on Nosferatu, which became Focus Features’ third highest-grossing release ever. The film made $181 million worldwide on a $50 million budget.

A Christmas Carol has been adapted upwards of 100 times, with Dickens’ original story telling the tale of an elderly miser who is visited by the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come. The most recent on-screen adaptation was Sean Anders’ 2022 contemporary musical comedy, Spirited.

Eggers’ take, however, is likely to be a period drama that leans closer towards Dickensian melodrama and gothic horror. The director has frequently stated his disinterest in making films set in the contemporary era. He recently expressed in an interview with Rotten Tomatoes that he was most interested in making films set “before World War II”, and the concept of filming modern technology “makes [him] ill.”

Though negotiations are not yet underway with any cast or crew, Eggers is reportedly writing the titular role of Ebeneezer Scrooge for his longtime collaborator Willem Dafoe. The actor previously starred in Eggers’ last three films: Nosferatu, The Northman, and The Lighthouse.

In addition to A Christmas Carol, Eggers reportedly has four projects in individual stages of development: a miniseries based on the life of Girgori Rasputin, a medieval-drama called The Knight, a sequel to Jim Henson’s Labyrinth, and Werewulf, a werewolf horror film set in 13th century England. The latter is scheduled to shoot later this year and is slated for a Christmas 2026 release.