Trivia

The exteriors of Orlok's castle were filmed at Hunedoara Castle, also known as Corvin Castle, a Romanian castle located in Transylvania and one of the largest medieval castles extant in Europe.

According to Bill Skarsgård, his voice was the aspect of the part he worked hardest at, spending six weeks before shooting not doing "much else than just record myself." "And on set, I would keep doing these exercises. It sounds kind of like Mongolian throat-singing. It's [insane]."

Bill Skarsgård trained with an opera coach to lower his voice an octave to make the voice of Count Orlok as deep as possible.

The snow used in the movie is not computer-generated. Director Robert Eggers used a technique from the 1940s where frozen potato flakes are crushed and made into snow-like particles. The once-common practice of using snow candles to achieve fake snow effects has been banned on movie sets due to the fact that a toxic gas is emitted. Most people suggested using CGI, but Eggers refused and eventually decided on frozen potato flakes while watching old movies that used the technique.

In an interview with Variety, director Robert Eggers explained that the design for Orlok deliberately went back to folklore and to the culture of Orlok's home region, with his costume having very long sleeves, strange high-heeled shoes and a furry hat, as well as a mustache.

Robert Eggers: [folkloric, mythological, and fantastical period piece] The Witch (2015), The Lighthouse (2019), The Northman (2022), and this film are period pieces that are based on folklore, mythology, and fantasy, which reflect through their atmospheres, settings, and environments.

Robert Eggers: [natural, orange-golden light via fire] The Northman (2022) and this film have scenes involving natural light that are orange-golden tinted. In this movie, many indoor scenes that take place at night involve the rooms lit by candles or a fireplace, giving a natural, orange-golden tint. In The Northman (2022), many scenes take place indoors and outdoors involving lit torches and bonfires, giving a natural, orange-golden tint.