Robert Eggers has decided to stay on brand. He’s all about folktales, which includes witches, vampires and now, Werewolves.
It was to be expected. Coming off the immense success of “Nosferatu,” Focus Features wants to do more business with Eggers, and they’ve even already set up a release date for his next film.
According to THR, Eggers will direct “Werwulf.” No cast was announced, and plot details are scarce, but quite obviously Willem Dafoe will probably have some role in it. Much like “Nosferatu,” a Christmas 2026 release has been set up by Focus.
Eggers penned “Werwulf” with Sjón, who co-wrote” The Northman.” THR’s sources say the story is set in 13th century England with dialogue true to the time period, including “translations and annotations for those uninitiated to Old English.” Eggers’ obsession with fairytales, folktales, and mythology — all firmly researched and developed — will likely continue in this next film.
Based on the title, the film might obviously be about a person changed or who is able to change into a wolf. THR says that, initially, Eggers was planning on shooting the feature in black and white, but decided to scrap that idea.
Eggers’ “Nosferatu” has been a surprise success for Focus, earning a $40M five-day opening, which was double industry expectations. The movie has so far made $156M worldwide and easily became Eggers’ highest-grosser to date. This all came off Eggers’ equally well-reviewed “The Northman,” “The Lighthouse” and “The Witch.”
Eggers recently told IndieWire that he was juggling multiple projects, and had five films ready to go. He completed his script for the medieval epic “The Knight,” which has been twice delayed already, and had an untitled western in the works. He’s instead opted to have “Werwulf” be his next feature.
Paul Greengrass’ "The Uprising," starring Andrew Garfield, opened to $3.2M from 2,068 theaters this weekend. Yikes. The budget hasn’t been disclosed, but is said to be in the $20-$30M range.