The only reason I’m nitpicking here is because this is a highly cited interview and should’ve been fact-checked before being posted.
So, before the interview starts, the article says, “…As part of Esquire’s exclusive first look at Werwulf, featuring star Aaron Taylor-Johnson as a 13th-century man haunted by his bestial metamorphosis…”
Do you see anything wrong? Well, if you followed the interview, Robert Eggers says this film takes place in the 1300s. Marking the events of the film to the 14th-century, not the 13th. The films events would’ve had to taken place in the 1200s for it to be categorized as such.
I’m surprised the editors for such a large magazine didn’t catch that.
It was the lines
Thy soul is cursed
Thy kin are cursed
Thy world is cursed
Most horror movies tend to have a clear-cut villain. Whether it's a slasher, demon possession, evil robot, etc. But I thought that segment in the trailer with those lines filled me with a sense of hopelessness. I guess it's not often that I would feel existential dread from a horror trailer.
Medieval werewolf illustration,but what motivated me to use this image is the similarities with the religious guy clothes to the one's of the man with the bird in the trailer(unlikely,but maybe Robert is aware of this image)
Maybe the design will be a wolf that is not that a wolf and not that a human,notice how it is a basic wolf but with longer arms,but nothing exaggerated.
Hey y’all, so this might be a bit of a dumb question, but I saw the trailer for Werewulf and while I’m genuinely interested in the movie (which also sent me down a rabbit hole of historical werewolf cases that I also love), would it (being an Eggers movie) be a bad for someone who has never seen a horror movie in the theater? I’ve seen some horror movies on things like cable or on streaming, but regarding actually seeing one in theaters I’ve never viewed one in theaters. I also generally don’t watch super messed up or extremely disturbing movies or stories, as I feel like it would just make me ruminate negatively over what I saw for god knows how long. And the only Eggers movie I’ve seen (which I also saw in theaters with my mom) was the Northman, but I get the feeling that movie wasn’t really standard procedure when it comes to Eggers’ horror style. Again, sorry if this seems like a really stupid question to ask here, I guess I’m just curious as to what yall (who are kinda experts with his movies) would think. Thanks.
They’re both remarkably similar artists in some respects; attention to detail, historical accuracy, and an academic fascination with the occult. It would be wonderful to hear them talk together one day about their proses and what they think of each others work. Incidentally, I also think Eggers is just about the only person who could do a successful adaptation of ‘From Hell’.
I know she looks “modern” to some but people call her just a talentless nepo baby. And while her work speaks for itself, as someone who’s loved the arts my entire life, looks into it obsessively etc, it just annoys me. Nepotism is a very real thing that can be extremely unfair, but I genuinely feel sometimes people are able to prove themselves. Her facial expressions of fear are amazing, to the point where people complain that she’s “over acting” Like which is it? Is she talentless, or being over dramatic in a horror/drama film. It’s always people judging her work that haven’t even taken a theater class, let alone been in multiple films. Like I said, her work speaks for itself it’s just weird haha
*Also you guys are allowed to not like an actor’s acting that’s not what I’m talking about*
So Werwulf retreads some familiar ground for Eggers. We've seen both Satanic witchcraft and pagan wolf-cults from him before. The trailer for Werwulf shows something that looks like it could be either. I have to imagine he's put a lot of thought into how he wants to depict this material in contrast to his previous work.
A significant feature of Eggers' films is placing you in the mindset a different era, without judgement. He understands that in a society that interprets everything through a supernatural lens the supernatural is functionally real, and making a clear distinction between what its real and what is magical is not the point of his storytelling. Instead he wants you to understand that the past is an alien world.
In historical accounts of werewolves we see both Christian beliefs that place them firmly in the demonic and quasi-pagan beliefs that don't. The movie seems like it's probably going to include characters who see it both ways, but which one is true and through whose eyes will we be looking?
If your going to cast an actor you know will go all in and chew any scene he's in you cast Willem Dafoe.
Sam raime knew it
Lars van Trier knew it
But Robert eggars knows it best hands down. In fact I believe his best performances are his roles in the lighthouse and Nosferatu followed by Antichrist and then spiderman
Here's an edit I made of Bill Skarsgard's face on Count Orlok, predicting his casting all the way back in 2018 when I was 14 years old, almost 6 whole years before any news/rumours broke about it. I know this isn't really that impressive but I still think it's pretty cool.
I am SO excited for Werwulf but I genuinely can’t wait. Does anyone have any suggestions for media (films, yt videos, articles, etc) that might provide a better understanding or background of the mythology and history of werewolves??
I went into Nosferatu with a lot of knowledge on the original source material and I feel like it enhanced my viewing experience even more. I was thinking about doing a deep dive for this film but would be interested to know if there’s anything that people consider essential to understanding the history surrounding them that might appear in this film based on the trailer?
Thank u in advance 🙏
That's Erika Bók who starred in some of Tarr's films, and ONLY his films.
I know it hasn’t even come out yet but I’m just curious what people think he’ll do next. He’s done a witch, a vampire, and now a werewolf. Frankenstein (I hope not)? The creature from the black lagoon?
What are some other folklore-ish things he could deep dive on and make a movie about? That part of it is clearly very important to him. What are some ideas you think he would be interested in?
Here's a tribute poster by Silver Ferox Design. Looking forward to Christmas!
Just interested after the trailer released for people’s thoughts on the direction the film is taking and if anyone has done further looking into middle english folklore, and werewolf myths at the time and how they’re influencing the narrative of Werewulf?
I’ve heard that the film is subverting werewolf tropes and that the protagonist CHOOSES to become a werewolf instead of being bitten by one. This is shown in the trailer, the boy is lured to a cave and the werewolf curse is put on him via witchcraft and seance.
This choice is probably closer to the reality of traditional werewolf myths, but is also interesting because it moves the genre of the film deeper into something that is Folk Horror - more like The Witch, Wicker Man etc.
I think giving a werewolf story a folk horror flair is absolutely brilliant. It’s one of the most interesting sub genres of horror but really has very little films within it - maybe 20 or so outright folk horror films ever.
Best shot in the trailer for me is the one of the mauled herd of sheep and the child looking across the field. I really hope the film builds to a 20 minute sequence in which the horror is embedded in dread, and the threatening feeling of something lurking in the woods. The gore can be visceral, brutal but hopefully not overkill. I think the werewolf myth lives in that silent dread.
Manifesting this 🙏🙏
Who would u cast as Krampus? I think Willaim Dafoe would be perfect for this role.
I think Robert Eggers should make an adaptation of The Táin Bó Cúailnge, or even just a self contained section of it focusing on Cú Chulainn's defence of Ulster and his duel with Ferdiad Or the final battle of Cú Chulainn where he tied himself to a rock as he was dying so as to die standing up . After The Northman, it feels like the natural next step. Eggers has a unique talent for recreating not just the history of ancient cultures, but the way people actually understood the world where gods, curses, omens and magic were accepted as real. Pre-Christian Ireland is the perfect setting for that approach.
The Táin is arguably Ireland's equivalent of the Iliad, yet it's barely known outside Ireland and has never received the epic adaptation it deserves. Visually, if portrayed correctly(Which I believe Egger's would do), it would be unique in modern cinema: Iron Age ringforts, chariots, cattle raids, druids, torcs, misty bogs and ancient forests instead of medieval castles and generic fantasy kingdoms, interdimensional Sí entities). Even the warriors themselves would look strikingly different, with distinctive hairstyles like the Cúlán haircut, lime-stiffened hair, ornate moustaches, bright clothing, decorated shields and chariots racing across the landscape. Their entire warrior culture feels wild, ritualistic and almost alien compared to the medieval settings we're used to seeing on screen. And you know Egger's would really zoom in on how colourful and strange Iron Age Ireland looked.
Most of all, Cú Chulainn is a great protagonist. He's heroic, tragic and deeply unsettling all at once. His ríastrad (battle frenzy) could could be beautiful and terrifying if handled with Eggers' grounded, almost horror-like style, while the duel with Ferdiad is one of the greatest tragic confrontations in mythology. I honestly can't think of another modern director who would treat Irish mythology with the same level of historical authenticity and respect while embracing just how strange, beautiful and genuinely otherworldly this culture was.