#movie zine

[b-skarsgard]

Bill Skarsgård in a big interview with MovieZine: "Horror is always best at the cinema"

"Nosferatu" current actor in great interview with Alexander Kardelo - about finding Orlok's look and voice, love for Robert Eggers and a busy 2025.

It is a great pleasure to follow Bill Skarsgård's career, which moves from one exciting collaboration to another. Now the Swede is very current in the title role in "Nosferatu", the hottest thriller of the winter. But the risk is that you won't recognize Bill, who has turned into a 350-year-old vampire count with a taste for blood.

MovieZine exclusively tells us that Daniel Day-Lewis could have played Orlok, and that he himself was initially considered for a completely different role in the film. But years of delays led to something good, and Robert Egger's "Nosferatu" is now ready for release.

We also talk about Bill's other intense roles, from last year's "The Crow" to the upcoming "Lords of War" where he meets Nicolas Cage.

read at the link above or below the cut

translated through google

Last time we talked about you being in "The Northman" but choosing "Clark" instead. But you got to work with Robert Eggers in the end, fun! What was it like stepping into his dark world?

- It has been fantastic. It's a long damn journey. I met him at a meeting in New York right after he had done The Witch. I saw it and thought "who the hell is this, I have to work with this man".

- Our meeting only confirmed even more how much I wanted to work with him. I felt that he speaks to all my interests. He inspires. He is so chill in his integrity, in his creative expression. I felt wow , this guy makes no compromises.

- I was cast in "Nosferatu" when it was to be his second film. I read the script and auditioned, first for the role of Harding, played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and then for the role of Thomas Hutter, who is the male romantic lead, played by Nick (Hoult). I got it, and I was so incredibly excited and tickled!

The idea was that Bill Skarsgård and Anya Taylor-Joy would have played the love couple at the center of "Nosferatu". But the project fell apart - Eggers refused to compromise his vision, and made "The Lighthouse" (2019) instead. Skarsgård got a minor role in Egger's third feature film "The Northman" but instead chose to jump on the Swedish miniseries "Clark".

- I felt that I love Robert, but that role could not be compared to the challenge in "Clark". I produced "Clark", it was mine and Jonas (Åkerlund's) baby. I didn't know if Robert would be easily offended and write me off forever... Then "Nosferatu" was going to be his next movie and I heard he chose Nick Hoult for the role that was promised to me - that bastard...!

- But the Harding role then? I think I can do it well. No, he wanted Aaron Taylor-Johnson for it. Both of those actors are really my peers, I've been losing roles to them for a hundred years. They are my competitors. I thought Eggers will never want to work with me again. Thanks and bye, I will survive. But out of nowhere he came to me and offered me Orlok.

It is not the most expected choice. Orlok is a 350 year old, stinking, living dead count. Maybe you're not the first person who comes to mind for the role?

- No, I didn't think so either. I know he was talking about Daniel Day-Lewis, and for a while it was Willem Dafoe who was going to play him, and Mads Mikkelsen... When he came to me years later, it was a shock at first, but then I was very flattered. He can have whoever the hell he wants. Giants, big names... What does Robert see in me that I might not see myself?

- But I know he's a perfectionist, and would never ever cast that role with someone he doesn't think can do it. Because the film is so personal to him. My trial filming process was 10 days back and forth, where he shared his research, as he is known for doing. I got a big folder with details, clothes, what Orlok looks like... I would watch some movies for references. Then we started dating: "What do you think of such and such inspiration?"

Bill Skarsgård is really unrecognizable under layers of all the makeup. It took six hours in the makeup chair, every day, to make him hideous and mysterious. But the biggest challenge was finding Orlok's voice:

- How can I make my voice almost so supernaturally dark? And breathing was damn important. I started recording clips and sending them to him. "Should I go more for Bela Lugosi? Or find someone more nuanced?" It was an intense 10 days of express development for the character. But that led to camera tests, which led to me booking the role.

- Then the film fell apart again. And it took two years before we actually started filming. Then the real work began, Bill remembers.

- I worked with an opera singer to get the technique, to activate the voice and get it as deep as I could. Then followed hundreds of hours of recording yourself, listening, recording yourself... From that I found my method - I knew when the voice was at its best. When I was most relaxed. Then I started to build up my routine. I had a 20-minute vocal warm-up process before every damn take.

It's absolutely incredible, you don't see and you don't hear that it's you.

- I have 600 hours of voice recordings that prove it's my voice, haha.

How did you find the look itself?

- The look was based on: what did a Transylvanian nobleman look like in the 16th century, and what would he look like if he had been dead for 300 years? I read the script for the first time almost 10 years ago. Not much has changed. He has marinated on this film for so long. As you know, he always goes to research and to authenticity, to historical clues, for his creation. That's how it always is. He strives to be as historically authentic as possible.

- I asked Robert at some point: "Will you ever make a contemporary film?" "Never," he said. He will never make a film that is not set in the past.

Did you guys use the old "Nosferatu" as a reference?

- I had already seen the old "Nosferatu" many times before. And Herzog's too, to some extent. But there was absolutely nothing I watched before this one. I think it can be harmful to study what people have done before. Even subconsciously, you can start stealing.

You choose courageous roles and exciting film projects. In 2024 you've released 'Boy Kills World', 'The Crow' and 'Nosferatu', all of which are quite dark and brutal in different ways. Just a coincidence, or are you attracted to such roles?

- For me, it is that the characters attract you, and you yourself attract characters. And then you meet in the middle. For some unfathomable reason, I'm drawn to these characters and they seem to be drawn to me. That year was a little too intense and a little too dark, to make the three films back to back. But I think all three of them deserve it. And if you look at the three films, you see that "Bill does different types of characters anyway", haha.

- I am a completely different person than when I was 16 or 18 years old. But what is it that has always been consistent? Playing as many different roles as possible is something that has been true for me ever since I was young.

"Boy Kills World" went under the radar a bit. And "The Crow" was already criticized in advance. Are you affected by that, how the films are received?

- I notice how "Boy Kills World" has grown on streaming. There were a lot of different reasons: it was an independent film, the marketing didn't have that high of a budget, so that film wasn't launched to do best in theaters in today's climate. Then these films can live on-demand. A bit suspicious, I think. How much have these movies made from home rentals? It is nothing that becomes public. I can almost wonder, because I should have a piece of that cake too…

- But "Boy Kills World" is growing and finding its audience, which is fun. I think that film has its place, says Bill.

- With "The Crow" there was just a wave of negativity already in front. I think that film was a little undeservedly harshly judged without that negativity. The film is not for everyone, and I have a lot of opinions about the result as well. But I see that it runs well on-demand. And I meet fans who say "that movie is really important to me". That movie resonates with people. It is not for everyone. But if you meet someone who says "I loved The Crow", then that's enough for me.

After these three dark roles, what's next for you in 2025?

- It's starting to clear up more and more. Looks like it's going to be a pretty busy year... and a bit dark too, haha.

Is "Lords of War" with Nicolas Cage one of your upcoming projects?

- I'm looking forward to it. It looks like it will be released later in 2025. It is a dark comedy. The character is a bit like Clark... A real self-centered sociopath who is an asshole but also quite fun.

- But next I will work with Gus van Sant. We will start recording in January. It is a very demanding and intensive role. It's something I seem to have stuck with, that the roles become demanding. I'm like that. If it's a tight uphill, then I get motivated to start climbing up. When I feel scared, "I can't do this" - I do it! I don't know how wise it is for my well-being, but there is something masochistic about it that motivates me.

But blockbusters don't seem to attract you, do they? On the other hand, you have appeared in two Marvel movies with "Eternals" and "Deadpool 2"... How is it - were you considered for the role of Lex Luthor in "Superman"?

- No, no one contacted me. It was just media rumours. But just because it's a Hollywood blockbuster... that's not enough to get me going on it. But if I feel that I see a challenge, that I can do something that feels good or that I believe in the project - then it suddenly becomes relevant. If you make a big film, you want to make a Gus van Sant film after that. It's fun to switch tracks like that.

- I hope that "Nosferatu" can become a blockbuster. I think it has the potential to be. It is art house. Extremely artistic, very scary, but it's also very conventional. It's the Dracula story. We know this story. It sits in our spine. It's horror. It's a big release. So in that way, I hope and believe that the film can really find a large audience.

- And horror is always best at the cinema. Not enough of that. It's also one heck of a craft. It's the kind of movie that can't be made anymore. Almost everything is practical effects. It is filmed on film. Every single picture looks like a painting. This is filmmaking of the highest order, and should be seen on the largest screen possible.

[eddie-redmayne-italian-blog]

New interview!!

Never say never (eddie about Fantastic Beasts)

"I had a great time speaking with Eddie Redmayne and Úrsula Corberó about the first season of THE DAY OF THE JACKAL.

The SkyShowtime Original Series The Day of the Jackal will be available to stream exclusively from 6 December (in Sweden)."

[c-show]

C. Show

[transsexual-divinity]

Back in October, I released the second issue of my horror movie zine, PHOBIA! I'm looking to share it with the world now, and would like to support a good cause while doing it. So, if you want to read my rants on the movies The Faculty, Pumpkinhead, Ginger Snaps, and Halloween 3, plus my interview with Tim Jacobus (AKA THE ORIGINAL GOOSEBUMPS COVER ARTIST!), there's two things you can do:

Donate to any of the Palestinian fundraisers that I post/reblog/etc, that will be in my tags: #money help and #free palestine

Or donate to other Palestine focused fundraisers like Care For Gaza, Connecting Humanity, or any others ( https://www.tumblr.com/riding-with-the-wild-hunt/767435793628348416?source=share <- is a good not exhaustive list I saw recently)

Then just DM me proof and your info, and I'll mail you a physical copy! Stickers will be included for any donation higher than 15 dollars!You can also contact me at PhobiaMag@protonmail.com or at Phobia_Mag24 on Instagram

Here's a preview if you want to check it out:

[harpersbizarresketchbook]

Midsommar Appreciation Zine!

[angelpuns]

Finally able to share this comic I did for the @turtlestogetherzine bonus zine! I was and still am reall proud of it, since I never really get to do paneling like this!

I also wrote a fic for the main zine, which I might share later! It's also turtle tots, so I'd probably be adding it to my rise drabbles on ao3 :)

[pixelpastry]

🔪

FOR IN FOCUS ZINE

[fonziqor]

silly lil mamma mia au for @goromcomzine !! 💗

[arsquare]

Here's the preview of my piece for the Detective Conan Movie Zine! I was assigned Movie 2: The Fourteenth Target.

If you're interested in this project, the contributor spotlights have begun on the zine's Twitter account here! Please check it out!

[celerydays]

Princess and the Frog Turtle AU 🐢👑

[deadpoets]

WIL PANG & VIVIAN SHING Saving Face (2004) dir. Alice Wu

[b-skarsgard]

2025 doesn't look any less intense for Skarsgård. First up is the hostage drama "Dead Man's Wire", directed by Gus Van Sant. Following that, he will begin work on "Lords of War" alongside Nicolas Cage — a sequel to the 2005 film Lord of War. In an exclusive update to MovieZine.se, Skarsgård shared some insights into his upcoming projects.

- It looks like it's going to be a pretty busy year, with some darker roles in the mix as well, Bill says with a laugh.

- Next up, I'll be working with Gus Van Sant. We start shooting in January. It's a dark comedy — a dramedy. It's a very demanding and intense role. I seem to get stuck with roles like that; the ones that are extremely challenging. I guess I'm wired in a way that, if it's a slippery slope, I start climbing.

After that, is it time for "Lords of War"? What can you tell us about the film?

- I'm really looking forward to "Lords of War". It's planned for later in 2025. It's a dark comedy, and I'm excited about it. The character is somewhat reminiscent of "Clark" — a self-centered sociopath who's an absolute asshole but still quite fun.

What about major blockbusters? Is that something that would appeal to you? There were rumors you were considered for the role of Lex Luthor in Superman, right?

- No, no one ever contacted me about that. That was just a media rumor.

- I really hope "Nosferatu" can become a blockbuster. I think Nosferatu has the potential to be one. It's extremely arthouse, it's very scary, but at the same time, it's also quite conventional — it's the Dracula story we all know by heart. It's a horror movie, and it's getting a wide release, so I hope it finds a large audience. Horror is always best experienced in the cinema.

[quinns-art-box]

this was my piece for the digital kaede zine, overture! it was a wonderful experience getting to be part of this project for a character i love so much 💖 @akamatsuzine

btw leftover sales are currently open :]

[enthyrea]

my tgm piece for @topgunzine!

this, again, was drawn last april and i’m so glad to finally post it! a huge thanks to everyone who bought and supported the zine 🤍🛩️

[hexfloog]

My contribution to the Detective Conan Fanzine, which was released today! I was assigned Movie 1/The Time-Bombed Skyscraper. Check out the project and all its participants on their twitter and download the full .pdf for free on their itch.io!

If I'm being honest I was a liiiiittle bummed I didn't get a different movie (having made a piece for M1 for a different Detco fanzine already LMAO) but this gave me the opportunity to approach it from a different angle than the first time around. I would say it was a bigger challenge than expected and I cycled through a few ideas before settling on another movie poster, albeit of a different style than film noir.

Please check out the final work if you're interested! As far as I know the zine wasn't advertised here at all, but everyone did such a fantastic job, and the pool of work included in the final product is well worth your time <3

[bonzlydoo]

My finished bookmark design for @potpzine !

If you want to own a copy yourself, pre-orders are open now! A whole bunch of artists have chipped in to celebrate this film's 50 year anniversary and all proceeds go to charity.

For more info & sneak peaks check:

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