Focus Features has officially dropped the first trailer for ‘WERWULF,’ the highly anticipated medieval horror film from visionary director Robert Eggers
Co-written with Icelandic poet Sjón, the film features a nameles cast anchored by Aaron Taylor-Johnson as a cursed farmer in 13th-century England
The production reunites several key actors from Eggers’ 2024 blockbuster ‘Nosferatu,’ including Willem Dafoe and Lily-Rose Depp
Focus Features has officially unveiled the terrifying first trailer for WERWULF, the latest period-accurate horror epic from acclaimed director Robert Eggers (The Witch, The Lighthouse). Stepping into 13th-century England, the film marks a swift, pitch-black follow-up to his 2024 box office hit Nosferatu, positioning actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson at the center of a visceral and bone-crunching reimagining of the classic werewolf mythos.
Set around the year 1300 in a foggy, isolated English countryside, Werwulf trades traditional cinematic monster tropes for punishing, historically grounded body horror. The narrative tracks a haunted, cursed farmer (played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson) trying to control an unholy internal affliction while seeking salvation through love with his wife (Lily-Rose Depp). In a highly unconventional creative choice echoing old-world fable structures, Eggers revealed that none of the characters in the movie possess proper names—with Taylor-Johnson’s protagonist simply credited as “Man.” The initial footage heavily leans into structural dread, grimy aesthetics, and a ritualistic cave-bound ceremony, purposefully keeping the monster’s final, full-body transformation hidden from the audience.
The production acts as a massive family reunion for Eggers’ recurring creative circle. In front of the camera, Taylor-Johnson, Depp, and veteran actor Willem Dafoe (who portrays a rugged beast hunter tracking the creature) jump directly into Werwulf after anchoring the cast of Nosferatu. Character actor Ralph Ineson, who famously starred in Eggers’ 2015 debut The Witch, also joins the medieval chaos. Behind the lens, Eggers co-wrote the script alongside Icelandic poet and author Sjón—who previously co-penned 2022’s Viking epic The Northman—while collaborating once more with longtime cinematographer Jarin Blaschke to craft a visual presentation heavy on silent-era lighting and squirm-inducing practical audio engineering.
Focus Features is strategically moving to turn the holiday corridor into Eggers’ signature launch pad. By locking Werwulf into a prime winter release date, the studio aims to directly replicate the massive commercial success of Nosferatu, which pulled in nearly $182 million globally against a modest $50 million budget following its Christmas Day 2024 debut. Described by the director as “the darkest thing I’ve ever written by far,” the cinematic endeavor is already tracking to be one of the year’s definitive, uncompromised big-screen horror experiences.
WERWULF will officially stalk its way into theaters nationwide on December 25, 2026.
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Focus Features
For over half a decade, Joyce Li has served as an Editor on Hypebeast’s global team, leveraging profound industry insights to capture the zeitgeist. Through her editorial lens, she anticipates emerging trends while dedicating her platform to spotlighting those making the greatest impact on culture today. A storyteller first and foremost, she examines the cross-pollination of fashion, footwear, art, music, and sports. This intersectional approach has led to compelling interviews with industry-defining figures like LeBron James, Pharrell Williams, Tom Brady, NIGO, A$AP Rocky, KAWS, and more.
