Nosferatu recently released its extended cut for digital purchase, which is only four minutes longer than the theatrical version . In it, only two scenes are extended, including one that reintroduces some deleted dialogue early on between Count Orlok and Thomas Hutter and features a very interesting reference.
According to Screen Rant , the moment comes when Thomas first arrives at Orlok’s manor, after a bewildering journey through Transylvania. On his travels, he encountered a reclusive community observing strange rituals, including exhuming a corpse and stabbing it. In the longer scene in the extended version, Thomas asks Orlok about this.
The vampire begins a chilling explanation about the ritual, calling it the Sfântul Andrei, an evening evil is released into the world of the living. At one point, he then says, that the “Devil’s magic bids the wolf to speak with tongues of men.” Now, this seems to be a clear reference to the legends of werewolves, which is very interesting in the context of director Robert Eggers’ upcoming filmography.
He’s due to direct a movie called Werwulf , which has been described as a supernatural thriller set in 13th century England. Not only that, but cinematographer Jarin Blaschke recently teased too that it will see Eggers do something with the fantasy beast that’s “not been done before”.
(Image credit: Focus Features)
Now while the small nod to the werewolf legend in Nosferatu was likely just included as part of Eggers’ extensive research into vampiric folklore, it has led some to wonder if there’s a stealth connection between the director’s films. In an op-ed, Screen Rant argues that it “opens the door for the two movies to exist in the same universe”.
It’s certainly an interesting theory but this isn’t the first time that Eggers has been asked if his films take place in a connected universe, after some wondered if The Lighthouse and The Witch shared a link. Speaking to Bloody Disgusting , he previously said: “It’s not like I’m trying to make a ‘Robert Eggers Cinematic Universe’, where there’ll [be] a third New England horror-adjacent folk tale where the ghosts of Thomasin the Witch teams up with the One-Eyed Seagull to harass a nice couple who starts a B&B somewhere in New England in contemporary days.
“But yeah, both films are me trying to commune with folk culture of my past and are me and my brother’s take on New England folk tales. So they’re certainly companion pieces.” It seems most likely that Nosferatu and the upcoming Werwulf exist in the same way, but it’s a neat inside connection nevertheless.
For more scares, check out our guides to upcoming horror movies and our pick of the best horror movies of all time.
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