Written by: Sam Santiago
He's taken us back in time with his various works over the years. We met a VVItch, visited a Lighthouse, and got all kinds of horny with a Nosferatu, but now director Robert Eggers is tackling his next bit of ancient monster lore in his new flick "WERWULF".
This week, amongst the desert heat and various Wrestlemania events hitting Vegas, CinemaCon was also a sight to see, and where Eggers and Focus features unleashed the first look at his new film "WERWULF" and it's being described as Eggers’ “most terrifying picture yet,” which, given his filmography, feels less like marketing and more like a warning. The footage hasn't made its way online as of yet. Even though descriptions of the footage have already started circulating, they paint a grim picture. The film is said to be shot largely in black and white with subtle flashes of color, leaning hard into Eggers’ obsession with historical texture and dread.
CAST:
WHAT WAS SHOWN?
The footage reportedly shows Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Lily-Rose Depp as a struggling villager couple, dressed in filthy clothing, moving through a harsh landscape while dragging children behind them. A gravelly voiceover warns, “Do not dread the darkness,” while the screen cuts through violent flashes, panicked horses, and a forest that feels like it’s watching back.
It all builds to a final image of Taylor-Johnson screaming in terror, with the title monster kept completely off-screen. No reveal. No silhouette. Nothing. Much like "Nosferatu", the horror is being withheld, and that restraint is doing most of the damage. Your imagination is even better with the less it's given so this really has us intrigued. It's the whole "Jaws" viewpoint or "John Carpenter" style of less is more. You don't need to SEE the danger to know it's there.
Taylor-Johnson is widely believed to be playing the title creature, though nothing has been officially confirmed. Set photos from last year already showed him bloodied and feral in woodland terrain, suggesting whatever transformation happens here may not follow traditional “wolf man” rules. Other images reportedly included Willem Dafoe and Ralph Ineson, along with Depp in a visibly altered appearance, including a cleft lip detail.
TIME AND PLACE
The story is set in 13th century England and was co-written by Eggers and Sjón, continuing their collaboration from The Northman. Dialogue is said to be period accurate, complete with Old English phrasing and annotated translations for modern audiences, which is very on brand for Eggers and very unforgiving for anyone expecting comfort viewing
Behind the scenes, Eggers is producing alongside Sjón, with Chris and Eleanor Columbus serving as executive producers.
BOTTOM LINE
No release date has been confirmed yet. No footage of the actual wolf has been revealed, but if early buzz is any indication, Werwulf is shaping up to be another slow descent into historical nightmare fuel, the kind that lingers long after the lights come back on.
We'll keep ya posted as usual.