The filming of Robert Eggers’ Werwulf, starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, has begun in the UK, and the first set images have leaked.
During filming at Dartmoor National Park in the southwest of the UK, Taylor-Johnson was spotted on set with a bloodied chest and long hair. See the images below.
The film is directed by Eggers, who previously worked on The Witch and Nosferatu. He co-wrote the script with Sjón. It is described as a werewolf movie set in 13th-century England with time-period-accurate dialogue, and Eggers says it’s the darkest film he has ever written “by far.”
In the film, Taylor-Johnson is set to play the titular werewolf, with Lily-Rose Depp portraying his wife. The film also stars Willem Dafoe and Ralph Ineson.
In an interview with Esquire, Taylor-Johnson opened up about his excitement over working with Eggers on Werwulf.
Taylor-Johnson said, “Other than being a phenomenal filmmaker and a strong visionary for these genre movies, I really loved being in his presence. He’s a strong filmmaker, he knows exactly what he wants, and he’s very much in control. I like being an actor who is under the influence of a strong director. There are limitations and boundaries within that, and it allows you to differentiate between the other things you do, because he’s so strong and bold in his style.
“I felt very honored and privileged that he asked me to do something else with him. And Willem Dafoe also, and Lily-Rose Depp. The company he keeps is just extraordinarily talented people. Same heads of department, same costume team. And Jarin, our cinematographer, who did Nosferatu and every other movie he’s done. I mean, he has a very strong, distinctive voice. As an actor…”
According to a Q&A Eggers took part in at the Lincoln Center, he described his upcoming film Werwulf as the “darkest thing” he’s ever written. Eggers is known for directing The Witch (2015), The Lighthouse (2019), The Northman (2022), and Nosferatu (2024), all of which earned Certified Fresh scores on Rotten Tomatoes. In addition to Werwulf, he is also attached to direct a sequel to Labyrinth.
The film is produced by Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner of Working Title, alongside Eggers and Sjón, while Maiden Voyage’s Chris and Eleanor Columbus serve as executive producers.
Werwulf will hit theaters in North America on December 25, 2026, by Focus Features.
