And to the surprise of no one, Robert Eggers will team up with his acting muse yet again. Deadline reports that Willem Dafoe will star opposite Aaron Taylor-Johnson in “Werwulf,” Eggers’ new horror pic currently dated for a Christmas 2026 theatrical release. It’ll be the fourth time the pair work together, after last year’s “Nosferatu,” 2022’s “The Northman,” and 2019’s “The Lighthouse.”
As for who Dafoe will play? That’s under wraps, as is pretty much everything else about “Werwulf.” Here’s what’s official. Eggers co-writes the film’s script with Icelandic novelist Sjón (who co-wrote “The Northman”). The film is another period piece, set in 13th-century England, with the script featuring dialogue authentic to the period (like “The Witch“). And “Nosferatu” star Lily Rose-Depp is also in talks to join the cast, but it’s not final yet.
On the production end of things, Eggers and Sjón will produce with Focus Features, along with Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner via Working Title. Chris and Eleanor Columbus will executive produce the project via Maiden Voyage.
The prolific Dafoe adds “Werwulf” to an ever-growing list of upcoming projects, including “The Birthday Party,” “Late Fame,” “The Man In My Basement,” “The Souffleur,” and “Tenzing.” The actor also starred in “The Phoenician Scheme” and “The Legend Of Ochi” earlier this year. And in the distant future it’s all but guaranteed Dafoe will star in Eggers’ remake of “A Christmas Carol,” a title Warner Bros. announced last month.
Eggers called “Werwulf” “the darkest thing I have ever written, by far” at a talk at Film At Lincoln Center this past February, so expect his next film to be his grisliest yet. But while it’s always exciting to see him work with Dafoe, it’d also be nice to see Eggers diversify his acting troupe. Dafoe, Taylor-Johnson, and Depp is “Nosferatu” redux: wouldn’t a new face or two be a satisfying switch-up for both director and audience?
In any case, “Werwulf” hits theaters on Christmas Day 2026. Stay tuned for more casting news as it arrives.
