A Christmas Day horror film, on purpose
You do not expect a werewolf film on Christmas Day. That is exactly why Werwulf stands out. Focus Features has dated Robert Eggers new film for December 25, 2026 in the United States, with a UK release on January 1, 2027. It will face family films and big franchise titles head on. Eggers is not chasing the widest crowd. He is offering horror fans a dark alternative on a day when most films play safe.
Eggers co-wrote the script with Sjon, his collaborator on The Northman. The film is set in 13th century England. A town lives in fear of a ravenous beast. A man and his family sit at the center of that fear. Focus Features describes the film as a tale of devotion, damnation, and the devil within. That tagline tells you the horror goes beyond teeth and claws. It digs into guilt, faith, and what a person does when a curse takes hold.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson plays Man, the cursed husband and father. Lily-Rose Depp plays Woman, his wife. Willem Dafoe plays the Old Hunter. Ralph Ineson plays a One-Eyed Hunter. Jack Morris plays a Young Hunter. The cast also includes Ned Dennehy, Bodhi Rae Breathnach, Hector Byker, Jan Bijvoet, and Kate Dickie. If you saw Nosferatu, you will spot familiar faces. Eggers likes to work with actors he trusts, and he has brought several of them back.
Why Eggers is the right director for this
Eggers built his name on period horror that feels lived in. The Witch used 17th century language and farm life to make dread feel real. The Lighthouse used black and white film and cramped rooms to trap you with two men losing their minds. The Northman used Viking history and brutal action. Nosferatu used gothic shadows and old world dread. Werwulf looks like the next step in that run.
Reports say Eggers called this his darkest script yet. That is a bold claim from a director who made The Witch and Nosferatu. It suggests the film will not soften its violence or its bleak view of its world. It also suggests the werewolf curse will be treated as a tragedy, more than a monster trick. A man who loves his family but turns into a beast at night is a sad story before it is a scary one.
The film was shot on Super 35mm film in a 1.37 to 1 Academy ratio, with an orthochromatic look that borrows grain from black and white film. Jarin Blaschke, Eggers regular cinematographer, shot it. That choice matters for how the film will look on screen. It should feel old, grainy, and close. It should not look like a clean digital horror film. It should look like something pulled from a dark past.
What we know about the story so far
Focus Features has kept plot details tight. The official premise is short. In 13th century England, a town is haunted by a beast that threatens a man and his family. Other reports add detail. Taylor-Johnson plays a farmer cursed to transform into a werewolf. Depp plays his wife. Dafoe, Ineson, and Morris play hunters who must track the beast and kill it before more people die.
That setup gives the film a painful conflict. The hunters are not wrong to hunt. People are dying. The town is scared. But the beast is also a husband and a father. If the hunters succeed, a family loses its center. If they fail, more people die. You can feel the trap in that setup. No choice is clean. That is classic Eggers territory.
Some reports place the film in the 14th century, while the main listing says 13th century. That small clash shows how tight the studio has kept details. For this draft, we use the 13th century setting from the main film listing, and we note that some coverage cites the 14th century. Either way, this is medieval England, with fog, mud, small settlements, and old beliefs. It is not a modern werewolf film with city streets and police chases.
What to watch for on December 25
Watch Taylor-Johnson first. He has to play a man, a husband, a father, and a beast, often in the same scene. If he makes you care about the man, the horror will hurt more. Watch Depp too. Her role as Woman could be the emotional center. She has to love a man who becomes a danger to the people around him. Watch Dafoe as the Old Hunter. Dafoe can make a hunter feel wise, cruel, or sad, sometimes all at once.
Watch the language and the look as well. Reports say the film uses Middle English, with help from Oxford professors for authenticity. That could make dialogue feel strange at first. Give it time. Eggers uses old language to pull you into a world that does not sound like ours. Once your ear adjusts, it adds to the dread.
For now, Werwulf is scheduled for December 25, 2026 in the US. It is not a film for kids, and it is not a light Christmas watch. It is a dark, folk horror film from a director who takes this genre seriously. If you liked Nosferatu and you want something even darker for Christmas, put this on your list. Book early if you want 35mm. The full moon will be out, in the film and maybe outside too.
Sources and reporting
- Focus Features via Wikipedia — 1 Nov 2026 · Verifies director, writers, cast, December 25, 2026 US date, January 1, 2027 UK date
- JoBlo — 26 Oct 2026 · Verifies 35mm screenings, Christmas Day release, cast and premise
- ComingSoon — 2026 · Verifies 120 minute runtime, cast roles, December 25, 2026 date
