Robert Eggers’ ‘Werwulf’ First Look Details: 4:3 Aspect Ratio, Old English Dialogue, and Grim Gothic Style

Tonight at CinemaCon, Christopher Nolan brought “The Odyssey” — though not much beyond what was already known was revealed. Nolan screened an abbreviated version of the prologue that was released in theaters this past December.

However, additional footage briefly showed Matt Damon as Odysseus waking up on a beach with no memory of life before Troy, and revealed Charlize Theron as Calypso, who confronts him about how long he has been stranded on her island.

Meanwhile, Focus Features screened the first footage from Robert Eggers’ “Werwulf,” starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Lily-Rose Depp, Willem Dafoe, Ralph Ineson, and Bodhi Rae Breathnach.

Since no images or footage have yet been released for the film, this was the first time anyone got a look at what Eggers has concocted with his latest nightmare. No surprise, the teaser reportedly leans heavily into Eggers’ signature style, with comparisons inevitably drawn to “The Witch” and “Nosferatu.”

Set in 13th-century England, the story centers on a village plagued by a strange creature. The footage reportedly emphasizes a grim atmosphere, with villagers, ritualistic imagery, and flashes of a curse unfolding as Taylor-Johnson’s character slowly becomes a beast under a full moon. Much like with the “Nosferatu” promo, the footage doesn’t fully reveal the creature.

The film was presented in a 4:3 aspect ratio, partially shot in black and white, with dialogue delivered in “Old English.” You can find a handful of reactions to the teaser below this article.

The Wrap

It opens with a group of villagers dancing around a fire with intense close-ups on their faces. Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Lily-Rose Depp's characters then come to town, told about a legend of werewolves in the country. A lot of images start flashing through, including brief looks at a werewolf transformation in the dark. The trailer ends with Johnson's character in a darkened barn, mid-transformation and foaming from the mouth as he screams.

Variety:

The trailer echoed Eggers’ past movies, with plenty of black-and-white shots of mauled corpses, desecrated graves and frightened townsfolk terrorized by an unseen beast. A nude Taylor-Johnson convulses and transforms into the werewolf, with spit filling his fanged mouth, but his full monstrous look wasn’t shown.

“Werwulf” is scheduled to hit theaters on December 25, 2026.