Werewolves have never quite occupied the same status as vampires or zombies. Robert Eggers may finally change that. The director behind modern horror classics like Nosferatu and The Witch is bringing his bleak worldview and obsession with historical accuracy (plus a robust Hollywood budget) to the oft overlooked horror genre with his next movie, Werwulf.
The film, which stars Willem Dafoe, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Lily-Rose Depp, and Ralph Ineson, releases in theaters on Dec. 25 and tells the story of a 14th-century town in England that’s terrorized by a wolf-like monster. While Werwulf remains shrouded in mystery, Polygon was able to coax a few fresh details out of Eggers in an email interview. Check out his answers to our questions below.
Polygon: Each of your movies has felt like a leap forward in your own evolution as a filmmaker. In what ways is Werwulf a leap forward from Nosferatu?
Robert Eggers: Maybe Werwulf is more of an evolution than a leap. Surprisingly, the Welsh forests were more challenging than some pretty extreme locations on The Northman and The Lighthouse, and I needed to be much more flexible in reworking carefully planned shots to execute them differently. The forest has its own rules.
Nosferatu felt like a pretty big formal risk that could have alienated horror audiences, but it paid off — Werwulf seems even riskier? Is the risk part of your interest in these movies? How do you know how far you can go out of the audiences’ comfort zone?
I am incredibly fortunate to be in the position to make the films I want to make. Let’s hope it lasts. I just have to trust myself and hope it hits the zeitgeist. But there is no formula. There are enough other filmmakers working today willing to take risks. Audiences — whether cinephiles or just movie lovers — are more cinema-literate than ever and want to at least try something different.
This is your third movie with Willem Dafoe. At this point, are you writing your scripts with him in mind? What does Dafoe bring to Werwulf?
Yes, I am writing for him. Willem understands “the joke of life,” and his characters in my films always enjoy what they are doing. Even if it’s dark. And you can’t beat that face – especially for a period film.
What is your favorite existing werewolf movie?
The Company of Wolves or Hammer’s Curse of the Werewolf are probably my favorites, given my taste. But An American Werewolf in London is undeniably the best.
Werewolf releases in theaters on Dec. 25.