Willem Dafoe in Talks to Star in Robert Eggers’ New Werewolf Movie ‘Werwulf’ Coming Christmas 2026

Robert Eggers is teaming up again with Willem Dafoe for his next movie, Werwulf, which is set to release on Christmas Day 2026 in North America, according to several sources. Dafoe is in talks to join the cast alongside Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Lily-Rose Depp. Eggers will direct and co-wrote the script with his longtime collaborator Sjón, who also worked on The Northman.

The film is being produced and financed by Focus Features, with Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner from Working Title and Chris and Eleanor Columbus from Maiden Voyage also on board as producers. While the story is mostly a mystery, the title hints at a dark werewolf tale. The movie will take place in 13th-century England and reportedly use Old English dialogue to fit the time period.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson is expected to play the werewolf himself, while Lily-Rose Depp will likely play his wife. The story will include elements of witchcraft and is said to be one of Eggers’ bloodiest films so far. Filming is set to begin this September.

Dafoe has worked closely with Eggers on several films before, including The Lighthouse, The Northman, and Nosferatu. The two are also planning to collaborate on a new version of A Christmas Carol for Warner Bros., with Dafoe possibly playing Scrooge.

Dafoe’s recent work includes the A24 film The Legend of Ochi. He’s currently filming Tenzing for Apple Original Films and has upcoming roles in The Man in the Basement and The Birthday Party.

Eggers first made waves with his debut film The Witch, which helped launch Anya Taylor-Joy’s career. He’s known for his dark, atmospheric movies with historical settings. In addition to Werwulf, Eggers is working on a sequel to the 1986 fantasy Labyrinth and the new A Christmas Carol adaptation.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson recently starred in 28 Years Later and was in Eggers’ Nosferatu as Friedrich Harding. He’s also known for movies like Kick-Ass, Avengers: Age of Ultron, and Bullet Train. Lily-Rose Depp played Ellen Hutter in Nosferatu and has appeared in The Idol and Voyagers.

Werwulf looks to be a fresh, intense take on werewolf horror with a historic twist. Fans of Eggers’ work will likely be excited to see this dark new story come to life.

This info comes from Deadline and other industry sources.

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