Robert Eggers says a Northman flub taught him a key casting lesson for Werwulf

Director Robert Eggers has learned from a misstep on his Viking epic The Northman, a lesson he says he applied to his upcoming horror film Werwulf. Per /Film, Eggers discussed the moment at a recent retrospective of his work.

During the filming of The Northman, Eggers wanted a group of elite-looking soldiers to flank Ethan Hawke's king as he rode into a village. He discovered on the day of shooting that the extras he had chosen for their imposing appearance did not know how to ride horses.

Eggers recounted the moment, saying he asked where his chosen soldiers were, only to be told they weren't the skilled riders. He had to make do with the available horse handlers instead.

The director told the audience this experience made him more careful about casting background actors for specific physical skills. When it came time for a scene in Werwulf where Willem Dafoe's character leads a hunting party on horseback, Eggers was ready.

He explained that for Werwulf, he specifically requested to see only riders who were already proficient on horseback before casting them. The film is scheduled to open in theaters on December 25, 2026.