Robert Eggers has a knack for finding his muse, and for the director of The Witch and The Lighthouse, that muse is Willem Dafoe. The duo has teamed up for four consecutive features, and their latest collaboration, Werwulf, is already generating buzz—thanks to Dafoe's glowing early impressions.
In an exclusive chat with Collider, Dafoe couldn't contain his enthusiasm for the upcoming gothic horror, even though he's only seen snippets. "I haven't seen it yet completely, but I have done some ADR, and just some of the visuals and some of the short little clips that I saw are just stunning. Stunning. Otherworldly," he shared.
Werwulf, set in 13th-century England, follows a cursed farmer (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) fighting to protect his family from a monstrous beast. Dafoe plays a hunter on the trail of the creature, and the film promises to deliver Eggers' signature folk-horror atmosphere. The movie is slated for a Christmas Day release, and fans of horror's most resilient survivors will likely find plenty to cheer for.
Why Dafoe Keeps Coming Back to Eggers
Dafoe, a four-time Oscar nominee, has worked with some of the biggest names in cinema, from Sam Raimi to Martin Scorsese. But Eggers holds a special place in his heart. "He's a world maker," Dafoe said. "He gets better and better. He's just very committed. He's smart. He knows his passions. He knows his limitations. He knows what he loves, and he knows actors."
That commitment to authenticity is what drew Dafoe to Eggers in the first place. After seeing The Witch, Dafoe requested a meeting with the director, and the rest is history. "He makes it so easy to enter the world because he doesn't show. Like a good actor, he inhabits it," Dafoe explained.
Eggers' meticulous research—whether it's the Smalls Lighthouse Tragedy for The Lighthouse or Old Norse sagas for The Northman—creates a space where actors can fully immerse themselves. "Once you learn those things, you want to pursue them, and that's the road to inhabiting something," Dafoe said.
A Demanding but Rewarding Collaborator
Dafoe didn't shy away from describing Eggers as "demanding," but he sees that as a strength. "He has collaborators that become extensions of him," the actor noted. "There's such understanding and such complicity that he doesn't delegate anything. He's everywhere, but he's everywhere with the collaboration of a team."
That hands-on approach has paid off in Werwulf, which Dafoe believes will be "very, very full-on" and "very beautiful." While he hasn't seen the finished product, his confidence in Eggers is unwavering. "It's a beautiful thing to work with him. Not always easy. It's not a character thing. He just doesn't sign things; he experiences them."
For those eager to see what Eggers and Dafoe have cooked up, Werwulf is shaping up to be another dark gem in their shared filmography. And if you're in the mood for more frights, check out some hidden Netflix horror gems or sci-fi horror's boldest gambles while you wait.
