Werewolves are one of our favorite monsters, and there aren’t many great representations of them in horror. We’re excited to see how Robert Eggers brings his new film WERWULF to the big screen with accuracy and stunning beauty, as only he can.
Eggers has already shown that he has a serious interest in digging into the past and bringing old stories, beliefs and nightmares back to life. With WERWULF, he gets to tackle one of horror’s most recognizable creatures while taking the story all the way back to medieval England.
Focus Features has released the official trailer for WERWULF, giving us a much better look at the filmmaker’s latest period horror film. The story takes place in England in 1305 and follows a mute peasant whose life is already marked by childhood trauma. His situation becomes far worse when he begins transforming into a werewolf during the full moon.
Things become particularly dangerous when a hunting party arrives under orders from the king to deal with wolves threatening the region. The werewolf hiding within the farmer makes that mission considerably more complicated, forcing him to protect his family while trying to keep his monstrous secret from being exposed.
WATCH THE TRAILER FOR “WERWULF” BELOW
OFFICIAL LOGLINE: Witness Robert Eggers’ most visceral and haunting experience yet. Focus Features presents WERWULF, a harrowing tale of devotion, damnation and the devil within.
Aaron Taylor Johnson leads the cast alongside Willem Dafoe, Lily Rose Depp, Ralph Ineson, Bodhi Rae Breathnach and Vidal Arzoni. Eggers co-wrote the screenplay with Icelandic poet and screenwriter Sjon, continuing the collaboration that previously produced THE NORTHMAN.
The medieval setting gives Eggers plenty of room to explore the folklore surrounding werewolves rather than simply dropping another modern creature feature into theaters. His films have consistently placed considerable attention on historical detail, language, costumes and the beliefs of the people living within those worlds. WERWULF looks to be taking that same approach to lycanthropy.
The trailer certainly does not make this look like a polished Hollywood monster romp. There is something grimy, ancient and deeply unsettling about the world Eggers has created, with the werewolf itself appearing to be just one part of a much larger nightmare.
WERWULF arrives in theaters December 25, 2026, giving horror fans a very different kind of Christmas present.
Eggers also already has his next project taking shape. Following WERWULF, the filmmaker is set to tackle one of the most famous stories in literature with a new adaptation of William Shakespeare’s ROMEO & JULIET.
Focus Features reportedly won a bidding battle for the project, continuing the studio’s relationship with Eggers. The upcoming adaptation is expected to feature actors performing the Shakespearean dialogue in its original Old English style.
Considering what Eggers has done with historical settings in films such as THE WITCH, THE LIGHTHOUSE and THE NORTHMAN, watching him turn his attention toward a medieval werewolf story is pretty damn intriguing. Now we just have to wait and see if WERWULF finally gives this classic monster the cinematic treatment it deserves.
