Robert Eggers Wants To Do ‘Romeo & Juliet’ Because Things Got “So Dark” After ‘Werwulf’, Joking: “So, I’ll Do Something About Two Teenagers Killing Themselves”

SPOILER ALERT for anyone who skipped freshman English! Robert Eggers is teasing his take on William Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet.

During a post-screening Q&A for his latest macabre title Werwulf, premiering Christmas Day, the auteur joked that the famously tragic conclusion of Shakespeare’s 16th century romance would be a welcome “break” from his usual horror work.

“I was doing something else,” noted Eggers of plans for his next project in a video from the event. “But what happened was, after Werwulf, I was writing another horror movie, and it got so dark again, and I was like, ‘I need a break. So, I’ll do something about two teenagers killing themselves.’”

Earlier this week, Deadline reported that Eggers was eyeing a return to Focus Features for his take on Romeo & Juliet, which has sparked some studio competition.

Details of Eggers’ adaptation are under wraps. His deal is not yet finalized, but we understand he’ll direct and produce this version of the classic play. The deal would reunite him with a studio with whom he’s worked across much of his body of work, including horror titles The Lighthouse (2019), Nosferatu (2024) and Werwulf.

In Werwulf, a man (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) in 14th century England finds him and his family threatened by a ravenous beast haunting the town. The film also stars Lily-Rose Depp, Willem Dafoe, Ralph Ineson and more.