Robert Eggers' Werwulf Trailer Promises Another Nightmarish Movie For Christmas

• Trailers

In 2024, director Robert Eggers offered movie fans the most dark and twisted Christmas gift imaginable when he delivered "Nosferatu" to theaters just in time for the holiday festivities. And now, he's looking to repeat. 

Swapping out vampires for lycanthropes, the first trailer for "Werwulf" showcases Eggers at his most... Well, at his most Eggers. And I'm not complaining. Frightening imagery drained of color, a historical setting recreated with striking authenticity, and the promise of a unique take on a legendary monster. Oh, and Willem Dafoe, of course. 

Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who was so memorable as a grieving aristocrat whose family was targeted by a vampire in "Nosferatu," takes center stage here. The trailer is light on plot and heavy on mood and it's pretty clear this is a protagonist who's got that wolf in him. But, you know, in a bad way. The rest of the "Werwulf" cast is also a "Nosferatu" reunion, with Lily-Rose Depp and Eggers' good luck charm Willem Dafoe rounding out the ensemble. 

But even with the bigger budget that comes with his previous film being the director's first Actual Box Office Hit With No Asterisks, the tone of this trailer harkens back to Eggers' first movie. A rural community beset by an evil force? Intentional use of antiquated language? Production and costume design that that makes you feel like you fell through a time tunnel? "Werwulf" is giving major "The Witch" vibes," and, once again, I'm not complaining. 

Werwulf arrives at the perfect time for everyone involved

"Werwulf" arrives at an interesting time for just about everyone involved. Aaron Taylor-Johnson desperately needs a hit after "Kraven the Hunter" forever quashed his James Bond dreams. Robert Eggers needs to prove that "Nosferatu" was no fluke and his creepy, grotesque brand of terror can generate ongoing mainstream audience interest. Focus Features, coffers currently overflowing after the wild box office success of "Obsession," can use this moment to solidify its place as the home for truly unique modern horror filmmaking. 

And perhaps more obliquely, we're over a year out from 2025's "Wolf Man," a critical and financial misfire that proved werewolves aren't hot by default. At the very least, we can assume Eggers has enough taste to let his werewolf in "Werwulf" look, you know, like an actual werewolf and not a guy with a skin condition. The trailer hides the titular monster, but the very traditional howl tells me what I need to know.

All I know for sure is that Eggers is on something of a generational run as a filmmaker, with "The Witch," "The Lighthouse," "The Northman," and "Nosferatu" solidifying him as one of the most unique voices in the history of genre filmmaking. I hope people will always give him enough money to impeccably recreate bygone period settings and then do horrible things to the characters who exist there. "Werwulf," based purely on this skin-crawling first footage, looks like he's doubling down on being himself. 

"Werwulf" hits theaters on December 25, 2026.