Marcos Melendez is an entertainment journalist who has been active since 2017. His past work can be read on Collider, Escapist, ScreenRant, CBR, and Full Circle Cinema. He is currently a News Editor for MovieWeb.
Robert Eggers is back with what is already being described as his most terrifying film yet in the first trailer for his upcoming horror epic Werwulf. Starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson as the titular monster, the dark and grim thriller is exactly what audiences should come to expect from the Nosferatu director, but perhaps turned up to 11. While it has not been released to the public yet, a detailed description of the footage made its way online.
The trailer for Werwulf was unveiled exclusively at CinemaCon last night during the Focus Features panel. Taking place in 13th century England, the film follows a couple, played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Lily-Rose Depp, arriving at a village that is being tormented by a horrific monster. Early reactions to the trailer consistently point out the dark and grimy nature of the footage, as Eggers leans into his horror roots. The trailer also mixes in black-and-white sequences and was shown in the 4:3 aspect ratio. Read the full description, courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter:
“The film is largely black and white, with hints of color; the clips showed Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Lily Rose Depp as a villager couple, trudging along in dirty clothes and dragging a few kids behind. ‘Do not dread the darkness,’ says a husky voiceover, with a supercut of violent images and horses running the forest. The footage ended on a close-up of Taylor-Johnson’s face screaming in horror — and no reveal of the titular monster, much like how Nosferatu‘s monster was hidden in promotional materials.”
It’s not shocking that Werwulf will seemingly roll out its marketing campaign by not actually revealing the creature just yet. Nosferatu, another Focus Features picture, hid its blood-consuming villain for the majority of the trailers. The footage does confirm that Taylor-Johnson will be the one to undergo a ferocious transformation, so it is only a matter of time until audiences see the Kraven the Hunter actor unleash his inner monster. A peek at his werewolf was revealed when set images from the production surfaced online late last year.
More to come.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
