Nicholas Hoult Almost Got Attacked by Wolves While FilmingNosferatu: 'That's Real Fear'

Mar. 15, 2025

Nicholas Hoult, and his character Thomas Hutter in ‘Nosferatu.'.Photo:Jens Kalaene/picture alliance via Getty; Aidan Monaghan/Focus Features

Nicholas Hoult in 2024 (left) and in the film ‘Nosferatu’

Jens Kalaene/picture alliance via Getty; Aidan Monaghan/Focus Features

Real life and make-believe merged inNicholas Hoult’s daring on-screen escape.

The actor appeared onLate Night with Seth Meyerson Dec. 23, where he recounted a scary moment that took place while filmingNosferatu. Hoult will star alongsideLily-Rose Depp,Bill Skarsgård,Willem DafoeandEmma Corrinin the horror drama set to release on Christmas Day.

Meyers noted that Hoult is “terrified in a great amount of this film.”

Hoult said every time he had been truly terrified in his own life, the feeling only manifested internally. So, conveying dread and fear outwardly for this film was a new experience for him.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Nicholas Hoult stars as Thomas Hutter in director Robert Eggers’ NOSFERATU

Aidan Monaghan/Focus Features

As those on set prepared to shoot the scene, the wolves had to be restrained from Hoult.

“I’m, like, running on the spot and getting hyped up before the take,” Hoult said. “And they’re being held back from me on leashes — barking, like, with death in their eyes. They want to eat.”

Hoult added that in one shot, he just barely made it out the window as the wolves were “let loose” after him. That take was unusable, he said, because director Robert Eggers told him he made a silly face. Hoult reviewed the footage himself and agreed it was too funny for the final cut but confirmed to the director that that was “real fear.”

As that shot was filmed, the actor realized he didn’t know what would occur if the wolves actually got to him.

“Like, I don’t know what happens if I don’t make it out of the window,” he said. “Like, what are they then trained to do?”

Nosferatuis in theaters Dec. 25.

source: people.com