[7] His childhood in New England often inspires his work; while writing his first feature film, he frequently visited the Plimoth Plantation in Massachusetts.

[8] Eggers began his career as a designer and director of theatre productions in New York before transitioning to working in film.

He directed the film from a screenplay he co-wrote with his brother, Max, and it stars Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe.

[10] In 2022, the Amleth-inspired Viking epic film The Northman was released, starring Alexander Skarsgård, Nicole Kidman, Anya Taylor-Joy, Ethan Hawke, Björk, and Willem Dafoe.

[11] Critical reception was largely positive, but the film underperformed at the box office and did not make a profit until it was released on VOD.

[1][14] In September 2022, it was reported that the film would star Bill Skarsgård in the title role alongside Lily-Rose Depp.

[1] In January 2025, it was reported Eggers would direct Werwulf, a werewolf horror film set in 13th-century England.

[21][22] Eggers has stated in a Rotten Tomatoes interview that he is never interested in making films set in the contemporary era, claiming that the idea of him photographing modern technology disgusts him.