The biggest horror remake of 2024 wants you to forget it was already beaten to the punch 22 years ago by ‘SpongeBob’

At long last, a pulse-pounding teaser trailer for Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu has finally arrived. As horrifying and bone-chilling as the narrative’s primary villain is, it’s worth noting that an iconic SpongeBob SquarePants episode actually introduced Count Orlok to a new generation of young horror fans decades before the remake.

Yep, that’s right — while the F.W. Murnau-directed OG Nosferatu masterpiece initially unveiled Count Orlok’s grisly appearance and characteristics over a century ago, an unforgettable hit episode of SpongeBob allowed younger fans to be exposed to an ancient horror icon, and thus given the ability to dive in and explore the eerie atmosphere surrounding the Dracula-esque figure. 

The episode in question would be “Graveyard Shift” — which is easily considered as one of the animated series’ most beloved “Halloween vibes” specials, despite not actually being marketed as a Halloween-themed episode. During the episode, SpongeBob spends most of his time being terrified of working at the Krusty Krab during the night shift — which helps to depict one of the most perfect endings in the show’s history, as Count Orlok is seen flickering the lights as a way to scare SpongeBob and Squidward.

The entire ordeal leads to SpongeBob and co. putting Count Orlok on blast, exclaiming “Nosferatu!” which, in turn, introduced one of horror’s most ancient and horrifying figures to an entire generation. In fact, if you ask most horror fanatics where they first heard about Count Orlok, I can almost guarantee that they’ll all insist that SpongeBob introduced them to the vampiric character.

Of course, Eggers is already off to a hot start at re-introducing the character to another new generation of enthralled horror fans, with a large majority of the spooky community, regular moviegoers, and critics alike believing that the Nosferatu remake could easily be the movie of the year. 

Just remember not to get too scared as you see the lights flickering on and off when Nosferatu lands in theaters on Dec. 25, Christmas Day.