Robert Eggers’ upcoming medieval horror film Werwulf has officially received an R rating from the Motion Picture Association, with the content descriptors indicating that the filmmaker is taking audiences into some extremely disturbing territory. According to the MPA Ratings board, Werwulf is rated R for “strong bloody/disturbing violent content, gore, sexual assault, graphic nudity and strong sexual content.”
The rating offers another indication of the dark and unsettling material audiences can expect from Eggers, whose previous films include The Witch, The Lighthouse, The Northman, and Nosferatu. While the director has described Werwulf as the darkest thing he has written, the official rating confirms that the film will not shy away from graphic material.
What Is Robert Eggers’ Werwulf About?
Set in 13th-century England, Werwulf follows a mysterious creature stalking the fog-covered countryside as local folklore begins turning into a terrifying reality. Focus Features has described the film as a tale of devotion, damnation, and the devil within.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson stars as a cursed farmer struggling to find salvation through love, while Lily-Rose Depp plays his wife. Willem Dafoe also appears as a hunter, with Ralph Ineson and Bodhi Rae Breathnach rounding out the cast.
Eggers co-wrote the screenplay with Sjón, his writing partner on The Northman. The film reunites the director with several collaborators from Nosferatu and continues his interest in historical settings, folklore, and disturbing supernatural horror.
When Does Werwulf Reach Theatres?
Werwulf is scheduled to open exclusively in theatres on December 25, 2026. Select cinemas are also offering special 35mm screenings, with tickets already on sale at participating venues. The announced venues include:
- Alamo Drafthouse Downtown LA — Los Angeles, California
- Alamo Drafthouse Cedars — Dallas, Texas
- Alamo Drafthouse Downtown Brooklyn — Brooklyn, New York
- Alamo Drafthouse New Mission — San Francisco, California
- Angelika Film Center at Mosaic — Fairfax, Virginia
- Angelika Film Center — Dallas, Texas
- Belcourt Theatre — Nashville, Tennessee
- Enzian Theater — Maitland, Florida
- Harkins Tempe Marketplace — Tempe, Arizona
- Heights Theater — Columbia Heights, Minnesota
- Hollywood Theatre — Portland, Oregon
- Jacob Burns Film Center — Pleasantville, New York
- Philadelphia Film Society East Theater — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Plaza Theatre — Atlanta, Georgia
- Screenland Armour — North Kansas City, Missouri
- Somerville Theatre — Somerville, Massachusetts
- Village East by Angelika — New York, New York
With its R rating now confirmed, some horror fans have another reason to be curious about what Eggers has prepared. Others may be put off, if the content sounds too extreme for their taste. Are you looking forward to seeing Werwulf this Christmas? Let us know in the comments below.
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