Willem Dafoe being lined up to play Scrooge in Robert Eggers’ ‘A Christmas Carol’ remake

Willem Dafoe has been cast as Ebeneezer Scrooge in Robert Eggers’ adaptation of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.

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Dafoe has worked on three of Eggers’ four movies – The Lighthouse(2019), The Northman (2022), and last year’s Nosferatu – with Deadline reporting that a fourth collaboration is now in the works with the veteran actor taking the starring role.

Eggers will write, direct, and produce the project, which will enter production after he has shot his forthcoming movie Werwulf, believed to begin filming this year and is scheduled for a Christmas 2026 release.

First published in 1843, Dickens’ timeless novel tells the story of Ebeneezer Scrooge, a miserly money lender who hates people and the Christmas season. On Christmas Eve, he is visited by the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet To Come, showing him the error of his ways in order to make him a better man.

The story has been adapted many times over the years, with several film versions becoming box office hits. 1970 musical Scrooge starred Albert Finney and was nominated for four Oscars; Michael Caine starred in 1992’s A Muppet Christmas Carol; while Jim Carrey played several roles in the 2009 motion capture animated A Christmas Carol.

In addition, several twists on the formula have made for memorable films over the years. Bill Murray played a modernised version of the character in 90s comedy Scrooged; 2022’s Spirited saw Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds reimagine the story from the perspective of the ghosts; while 2009 rom-com Ghosts Of Girlfriends Past put a non-festive spin on the story, with Matthew McConaughey playing a womaniser who learns the error of his ways.

One filmmaker who will be lining up to watch Eggers’ new work is Martin Scorsese, who in February confessed to being a huge fan of the director. “Anything this guy does, amazing” he said after heaping praise on Nosferatu.

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