Robert Eggers’ upcoming “Werwulf” movie will skip the usual tropes of silver bullets we’ve seen since Universal’s “The Wolf Man” in 1941.

“All the clichés of being bitten by a werewolf and silver bullets and a lot of the stuff that has become almost campy doesn’t exist in the mythology of this movie,” Eggers told Esquire in his first interview about his eagerly anticipated follow-up to 2024’s “Nosferatu,” which also shared an exclusive new photo of lead Aaron Taylor-Johnson in non-lycanthrope form.

He added that his film, which is set medieval England, means he’s skipping the standard movie mythology. “Going back into the past is that you can kind of hit a reset button,” he said.

The film also reunites Eggers with “Nosferatu” stars Lily-Rose Depp and Willem Dafoe.

Here’s what Eggers revealed about the movie:

When and where is the movie set?

It’s set in England around 1300, after King Edward I ordered the eradication of all wolves to protect the sheep whose wool made the burgeoning wool trade possible. “That’s as late as it could be because once there were no wolves in England, there was no more werewolf lore in England. That became interesting, that it was going to be set so medieval,” Eggers told Esquire.

What were the historical inspirations for “Werwulf”?

Eggers drew from the ancient encyclopedia Otia Imperialia, which was compiled around 1214 AD by Gervase of Tillbury, a well-traveled English cleric and scholar, for Roman Emperor Otto IV.

The book covered geography, physics, and folklore, but the director zeroed in one section in particular: Subtitled in Latin De hominibus, qui fuerunt lupi ( “of men who were wolves,”) in which Gervase wrote about instances of men “being changed into wolves by the lunations.” According to Gervase, these transformations occurred in the phase between two new moons, not during the full moon.

Since the English history was “scanty,” Eggers also included folklore myths from continental Europe, including Norse Berserkirs who wore bearskins or wolf coats (Úlfhéðnar) into battle.

The werewolf lore there is born from people who were doing such horrific indescribable acts that it was hard for other people to wrap their minds around it. They figured these people can’t be human. They must be inhuman. They must be werewolves.”

What do we know about Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s character?

“He’s a farmer. He’s a man who is cursed. It’s a story about a man who is cursed and is trying to find salvation through love. He’s a character who is haunted and in great pain,” said Eggers, who explained that the character does not have a name.

Who does Lily-Rose Depp play?

She plays the wife of Aaron’s character, who is also a farmer and has several children. “Lily, she is the heart of the movie. Lily is truly transformative. There’s a very clear physical change in her body and her makeup, but she inhabits a very different person that’s very different from her and very different from any character she’s ever played,” Eggers explained.

Who does Willem Dafoe play?

“It’ll be clear from the trailer that Willem is a hunter,” said the director, referencing the first trailer that dropped in April. Ralph Ineson, who played the father in “The Witch” appears to also be a hunter, as he is seen in the trailer holding a crossbow.

What can we expect from the transformation scenes?

“It’s a really brutal, unforgiving, merciless, grotesque world. More than ever, it’s mud and blood and dung and rain and pain and suffering. Aaron’s performance is incredibly harrowing. We’ll say without a doubt that it’s his best performance, and the stuff that he does physically in the transformation scenes are incredibly extreme. The emotional intensity he brings to role is equally as extreme.”

Watch the “Werwulf” trailer:

When does “Werwulf” open in theaters?

December 25

What other movies are about the ancient war of men against wolves?

In “Ladyhawke,” which is set in 13th century Italy, cursed knight Etienne Navarre (Rutger Hauer) tries to avoid being captured by vicious wolf hunter Alfred Molina.

In the animated film “Wolfwalkers,” a girl changes her mind about helping her father hunt wolves after a befriending a wild girl who can transform into one. It’s set in 1652 in Kilkenny Ireland, when Oliver Cromwell declared a ban on all wolves and required farmers to kill the wild animals, or bring in professional wolf hunters.