The full moon is out, and Robert Eggers has unleashed another nightmare. A new trailer for Werwulf has arrived, offering another nasty glimpse at Eggers’ upcoming gothic folk-horror movie.
It looks brutal, grimy, and genuinely terrifying, with Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Lily-Rose Depp, and Willem Dafoe caught in what appears to be one hell of a medieval nightmare.
The second Werwulf trailer was released perfectly timed with September’s full moon. Eggers pulled the same trick with the first trailer back in June, which also arrived during a full moon.
Eggers previously explained that he found historical material connecting werewolves to the moon long before movies made the idea famous. Eggers previously said:
“For the werewolf nerds out there, it’s commonly stated that the full moon’s connection to werewolves began in cinema. But I found a very, very old English text – older than the period of the film – that does say that werewolves are affected by the cycle of the moon. And there is also some stuff in some Icelandic literature. So… I went for it.”
The new footage gives us some creepy and nightmarish new material involving Depp, Dafoe, and the rest of the cast. Eggers previously worked with both actors on Nosferatu, and he’s bringing them back for another plunge into dark period horror.
Werwulf takes place in the 14th century and centers on a mute peasant played by Taylor-Johnson. He’s a reserved family man cursed to transform into a werewolf with every full moon. Sjón co-wrote the film with Eggers.
The official synopsis reads: “Witness Robert Eggers’ most visceral and haunting experience yet. Focus Features presents WERWULF, a harrowing tale of devotion, damnation and the devil within.”
Joining Taylor-Johnson, Depp, and Dafoe are Ralph Ineson, Bodhi Rae Breathnach, Ned Dennehy, Kate Dickie, Valeriia Karaman, Tony McCarthy, Hannah Harpin, Jan Bijvoet, Preslav Shipkaliev, Jack Morris, and more.
Werwulf looks vicious, and the period setting gives the whole thing a raw, nightmarish quality that fits his filmmaking style perfectly.
Werwulf opens in theaters on December 25, 2026. Nothing says Merry Christmas quite like a 14th-century werewolf ripping through the countryside under a full moon.
