Horror comes to CinemaCon with first looks at Nosferatu & Wolf Man, plus first trailer for Speak No Evil

Robert Eggers’ upcoming remake of F.W. Murnau’s silent classic Nosferatu is one of the more highly anticipated horror movies of the year, and the lucky folks at CinemaCon got a look at an exclusive first look at the chilling production.

The first look at Nosferatu was suitably terrifying with a heavy gothic tone. Classic-looking tall, dark castles, scurrying rats, blood gushing from necks, and full-on bleak horror. The footage included looks at Lily-Rose Depp (The Idol) and Willem Dafoe (Poor Things) but sadly only featured quick glimpses of Count Orlock himself. Perhaps that’s for the best, but I can’t wait to see Bill Skarsgard (Boy Kills World) disappear into the character.

Nosferatu tells a “gothic tale of obsession between a haunted young woman in 19th century Germany and the ancient Transylvanian vampire who stalks her, bringing untold horror with him.” Lily-Rose Depp stars as the young woman alongside Nicholas Hoult (Renfield), Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Kraven the Hunter), Emma Corrin (Deadpool & Wolverine), Ralph Ineson (The Witch), Simon McBurney (The Conjuring 2), and Willem Dafoe (Poor Things).

Dafoe plays a “crazy vampire hunter” in the movie and previously teased that it’s unlike anything he’s ever seen. “[Eggers] gets better and better and better, gets more articulate, more on top of it,” Dafoe said. “He’s so clear when he works. It opens in December… which is a long time away. Trying to be an optimist, I think the studio must feel very strong about it, because that quite a tough slot, so I’m excited about that. I saw some footage when we were shooting, and I can honestly say, visually, it was unlike anything I have seen… The look of it and how it was shot was extraordinary.” Nosferatu is slated to hit theaters on December 25th.

Audiences also saw a brief teaser for Wolf Man, which is currently in production under the direction of Leigh Whannell (The Invisible Man). The teaser opened with Christopher Abbott’s character and his daughter talking, with the daughter asking about death and how “everybody dies eventually.” We see clips of people running, Julia Garner (Ozark) looking terrified, a bloody arm, and an intense scream from Abbott as he (possibly) becomes the Wolf Man.

It was also confirmed that sequels to M3GAN and Five Nights at Freddy’s will debut next year.

Not to be left out of the CinemaCon action, Focus Features brought new trailers for two of its upcoming releases, giving the crowd a new look at Conclave and The Bikeriders. 

Conclave is a papal thriller about the election of a new pope. In the film, starring Ralph Finnes, Stanley Tucci, and John Lithgow, Cardinal Lawrence (Finnes) is tasked with leading one of the world’s most secretive and ancient events, selecting a new Pope, where he finds himself at the center of a conspiracy that could shake the very foundation of The Church. JoBlo’s editor-in-chief, Chris Bumbray, says Conclave looks surprisingly intense.

As for The Bikeriders, Chris says the movie looks “very Goodfellas-esque,” and includes more action and carnage than previously seen in other previews. Chris thinks the film looks awesome, with Tom Hardy giving Marlon Brando vibes during his performance.

The first trailer for Speak No Evil was screened at CinemaCon, but it’s also been released online for us common folks.

The psychological thriller is a remake of the 2022 Danish film of the same name and stars James McAvoy, Mackenzie Davis, and Scoot McNairy. It centers on an American family who are invited to spend the weekend at the idyllic country estate of a charming British family they befriended on vacation, but what begins as a dream holiday soon warps into a snarled psychological nightmare. The film is slated to hit theaters on September 13th.