After battling vampires in Nosferatu, filmmaker Robert Eggers is venturing into another horror creature genre with his own unique style.
Eggers co-wrote the werewolf horror project Werwulf, which he will direct next.
Focus Features, Universal’s arthouse division that released and financed Nosferatu, has resumed business with the Werwolf filmmaker. The company has set a North American release date for the thriller on Christmas Day 2026. “Nosferatu” was also released on Christmas Day and went on to become an unlikely hit, so those involved are hoping for more Christmas greetings.
Eggers co-wrote “Welwulf” with Sean, who co-wrote the exciting Viking tale “The Norseman” with the filmmaker. Details are unclear, but sources say the story is set in 13th century England. The libretto also includes dialogue that is faithful to the period, with translations and annotations for those unfamiliar with Old English.
Eggers originally planned to shoot the feature in black and white, but that is no longer the case.
Considering the setting and dialect, director Eggers promises another deep dive into the muddy, costumed, violent era that matches his work, and that’s what made him avid moviegoers. Suffice it to say, we’re getting it.
Eggers and Sjón will produce alongside Focus features. Chris and Eleanor Columbus, who worked with Eggers on Nosferatu, will serve as executive producers.
Focus, run by Peter Kujawski, has released all of his films, including The Northman and his earlier film The Witch and the Lighthouse, and works with Eggers. Focus handled international distribution for The Lighthouse through Universal International.
Nosferatu is Eggers’ remake of the 1922 Dracula-esque thriller of the same name. Lily-Rose Depp and Nicholas Hoult play a couple besieged by Count Orlok, played by Bill Skarsgard. The film also stars Willem Dafoe (who appeared in all but one of Egger’s films) and Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and is set in a German port in the 1830s.
The film, with its emphasis on mood, style, costumes and polite dialogue, opened on Christmas Day and grossed a whopping $40 million in five days, double industry expectations. The film grossed over $156 million worldwide, making it Eggers’ highest-grossing film to date. The film is scheduled to hit digital and store shelves on February 18th.
Eggers is repped by WME and Frankfurt Kurnit.
