Photos recently dropped of Lily-Rose Depp on the set of Robert Eggers’ upcoming film Werwulf, currently filming in Surrey, England. The film is set to be released on Dec. 25, 2026, Eggers’ second Christmas release following Nosferatu in 2024. Werwulf also stars Eggers’ favorites Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Willem Dafoe, and Ralph Ineson.
The biggest conversation around these photos was the de-glammed Lily-Rose Depp. Depp isn’t wearing heavy makeup; her costuming is period-accurate, with boxy, thick shapes, no corseted waist, and her hair fully covered. People have also noted her cleft-lip prosthetic, which doesn’t contribute to the “ugliness” of the character, but rather to the authenticity.
There’s been some controversy on the inclusion of this cleft lip, with some feeling that putting it in a horror movie is positioning it as the horror and shocking element, while others understand the historical context of cleft lips’ connection to werewolves.
Even if that second point is true, it’s understood how including this will introduce conversations on cleft lips to the general public and could negatively impact those who have cleft lips.
However, a lot of people have remarked that Depp isn’t afraid to be “ugly” for this role. Despite the sparse makeup in Nosferatu and distorted faces and movements she made, Depp was still conventionally attractive in this film. After the lack of a best actress nomination for Nosferatu, one has to wonder if this de-glamming will be part of her Oscar bid.
The concept of “getting ugly” is nothing new for the Oscars and is a common practice for many women. Since female celebrities’ currency is their beauty, within their roles, that can be the only focus; they aren’t valued for their merit but rather for their pretty faces, which can make award success more difficult for many actresses.
The solution many of them have found is having an unrecognizable transformation. This doesn’t take their beauty out of the conversation, but rather puts their beauty in conversation with their transformation.
It seems that for a woman to disappear into a role, she has to look completely different, never mind the acting that she does; it’s about her face and her body.
In recent years, we’ve seen this with 2022 Best Actress winner Jessica Chastain, who completely transformed for her role as Tammy Faye Baker in The Eyes of Tammy Faye, and Anne Hathaway, who won Best Supporting Actress in 2013 as Fantine in Les Misérables, for which she shaved her head.
The biggest example we’ve seen of this is Charlize Theron with her 2004 win as serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Monster. Theron was known for her beauty and was completely unrecognizable in her 2003 role.
She gained weight for the film, wore extensive makeup, and wore prosthetics. All these factors, with a fantastic performance, earned Theron one of the most well-regarded Best Actress Oscars ever.
However, a big transformation doesn’t guarantee a win. Horror is a historically overlooked genre at the Oscars, and this past year, many were excited to see The Substance garner so much critical acclaim and its lead actress, Demi Moore, get a best actress nomination for the film.
Moore goes through a complete physical transformation in the film, starting the film with her traditional fit physique, before experiencing decay throughout, as her body breaks down in tandem with Margaret Qualley’s character’s siphoning of her beauty.
Moore was a top contender for the Oscar before losing to fresh face Mikey Madison for Anora, a loss that many started narrativizing within the context of the film.
While it isn’t clear yet if Depp is going to campaign for an Oscar during the 2027 awards season, we can see the history behind this precedent. Maybe The Substance has finally opened the door for horror performances to become mainstream contenders, and Depp’s transformation will garner her at least a nomination.
Until then, I’ll be on the lookout for more on-set photos of Depp and the whole cast, before the film’s 2026 Christmas release.
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