Focus Features has released the official trailer for Werwulf, the new horror movie written and directed by Robert Eggers (The Witch, The Lighthouse, Nosferatu). Set in 13th-century England, Werwulf finds Eggers reimagining werewolf mythology, leaving behind many of the conventions that have defined the genre over the years.
Werwulf opens in U.S. theaters on December 25 through Focus Features.
The story is set around the year 1300 and follows a mysterious creature that stalks the land as local folklore becomes a terrifying reality.
According to Eggers, choosing this historical period allowed him to build a mythology entirely separate from the one popularized by werewolf movies. In Werwulf, there are no werewolf bites, silver bullets, or other familiar genre conventions.
Eggers also explained that the film was shot on 35mm film and that an orthochromatic treatment was applied in post-production to alter skin tones. The production also incorporated the grain structure of black-and-white film into the color footage, creating a distinctive visual style.
To prepare for the role, Aaron Taylor-Johnson spent time observing a real wolf and studying its behavior. Eggers also said that Werwulf is by far the darkest thing he has ever written.
The cast includes Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Nosferatu), Lily-Rose Depp (Nosferatu), Willem Dafoe (The Lighthouse), Ralph Ineson (The Witch), and Bodhi Rae Breathnach (Hamnet).
The official trailer:
