Breaking Down First Trailer for Robert Eggers' ‘Werwulf'

This year’s CinemaCon has been filled to the brim with huge reveals and announcements. While there were certainly bigger movies showcased, horror fans have been dying to get a glimpse of Robert Eggers’ upcoming “Werwulf” film, produced by Focus Features.

Newsweek had a chance to attend Universal and Focus Features’ showcase at CinemaCon in Las Vegas, Nevada, where the first teaser trailer for the film debuted. We’re going to break down what we saw, but if you prefer to experience the trailer for the first time when/if it’s eventually released, it might be better to hold off on seeing these details.

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The thing that immediately stands out about the trailer is the look. It has the look of a trademark Eggers movie. The colors are muted, the cinematography is beautiful and the world is absolutely brutal. It’s also worth noting that the teaser was presented in a 4:3 aspect ratio, which will likely be how the final film is presented.

It is a very brief teaser that doesn’t feature a lot of story beats. It starts with villagers around a fire and some close-ups of faces. We see a shirtless Aaron Taylor-Johnson beginning his transformation into a werewolf, and though they didn’t give away what the transformation will look like, it’s safe to say that it could be one of the standout moments of the film.

We also see glimpses of Willem Dafoe and Lily Rose-Depp, who worked with Eggers on 2024’s “Nosferatu.” The setting is very cold and snowy. It almost has a similar vibe to the video game “Resident Evil: Village,” which also featured werewolves. There are also some beautiful shots in the moonlight and plenty of Taylor-Johnson convulsing.

The film is slated to come out on December 25, 2026, and it is said to be Eggers’ scariest film yet.

Newsweek's reporters and editors used Martyn, our Al assistant, to help produce this story. Learn more about Martyn.

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This story was originally published April 16, 2026 at 12:59 PM.