Film director Robert Eggers has revealed a specific detail about historical accuracy in his upcoming movie The Werewolf, which is set in 13th-century Britain.
Eggers explained that actor Willem Dafoe plays the only character on screen who wears buttons, because no one else in the period setting could afford them.
According to the director, Dafoe's character sports the exact historically accurate number of fasteners on his costume. Eggers noted that while audiences might not calculate the exact count, viewers will spot that Dafoe is the sole person wearing buttons because of his wealth.
Historical costume authenticity
Eggers has built a reputation in modern cinema for painstaking historical research and authentic period production. The American director previously helmed acclaimed historical films including The Witch, The Lighthouse, The Northman, and Nosferatu. In medieval Europe during the 13th century, metal or bone buttons were costly luxury items restricted to upper nobility, long before functional buttonholes became common attire across social classes.
Dafoe is a four-time Academy Award-nominated actor and a frequent collaborator with Eggers, having previously starred as a lighthouse keeper in The Lighthouse and as a professor in Nosferatu. His character in The Werewolf stands out visually from the rest of the rural cast through his expensive buttoned attire.
Villages terrorized by mysterious creature
The storyline of The Werewolf unfolds in 13th-century Britain, where a mysterious creature launches violent attacks on residents across several villages, keeping entire communities in fear. As the death toll rises, local superstitions and ancient myths become increasingly real for the terrorized population.
The main character of the film is a local farmer who suffers from a terrible curse and seeks to find salvation through love.
December premiere
The Werewolf is scheduled for its international premiere on December 25. The holiday release date places the period horror film among major year-end film debuts around the world.
