Alexander Skarsgård Boards Gothic Horror THE WOLF WILL TEAR YOUR IMMACULATE HANDS
Alexander Skarsgård is heading back into chilling genre territory, this time leading the gothic horror feature The Wolf Will Tear Your Immaculate Hands, the English language debut of Swedish Costa Rican filmmaker Nathalie Álvarez Mesén.
It marks Skarsgård’s first Scandinavian feature involvement in over a decade and is slated to be released in May 2026. The film is currently in production and shaping up to be one of the most intriguing genre projects on the horizon.
Co-written with celebrated Icelandic author and screenwriter Sjón, whose past credits include The Northman and Lamb, the project expands Mesén’s style into a darker period setting.
An official statement describes the film as deepening her “signature blend of intimate character work and magic realism, expanding it into a darker, more haunting period world.”
Skarsgård takes on a demanding role as a British widower in the 1880s Pacific Northwest who hires a Native American governess, educated in a Christian mission school, to school his two daughters.
The logline teases a slow burning supernatural awakening within the eldest daughter. “While preparing the eldest for an arranged marriage, a force within her begins to awaken, threatening everything she has been taught.”
Canadian actress Darla Contois stars as the governess. The daughters are played by Bronte Carmichael of Star Wars Andor and Lily La Torre, seen in Run Rabbit Run. The cast is rounded out by Forrest Goodluck, known for The Revenant and How to Blow Up a Pipeline, and Swedish actress Pernilla August, whose credits include Star Wars.
Mesén expressed her excitement for what this ensemble has brought to the set. “I feel incredibly lucky to work with a cast who dive into their roles with such generosity, playfulness, and openness. Collaborating with such a talented group of people from all around the world has been a privilege.
“Darla embodies Isabel with visceral emotional depth, and Alexander portrays the father with a truth and volatility that ground the story. I can’t wait for the film to reach audiences!”
The director has spoken openly about the themes driving the film, saying that the core of the story is rooted in generational liberation. She said the story discusses “how to break free from patriarchal structures and if you can decolonize your own body, if not for yourself, for the sake of future generations.”
Sjón shared why Mesén’s vision drew him to the project. “As someone who’s worked with myth and folk stories in novels, songs and screenplays, I was immediately fascinated by Nathalie’s command of bringing to the screen something as difficult as the shifting borders between the inner and outer reality of her film’s protagonist. He added, “some dark Northern lyricism to Nathalie’s warm Latin American poetry.”
Location scouting for the period setting took Mesén’s team to 15 countries before they settled on Belfast, Northern Ireland, for the majority of the shoot. “Nature in Belfast is actually quite similar to Pacific Northwest with tempered rainforest,” Yousefi said.
One of the biggest challenges was constructing the widower’s house inside and out as a single real location. “That has given the film a true authenticity where you go in and out of the house seamlessly,” he said, praising how closely Mesén worked with department heads throughout the process.
Producer Nima Yousefi emphasized the importance of supporting Mesén’s full vision. “What was key for us, was to protect Nathalie’s vision and give her full creative freedom. This is what we can achieve within the European funding model,” he said as the production prepared for its final two day shoot in Sweden, followed by post production and VFX.
The Wolf Will Tear Your Immaculate Hands sounds like it could be must watch gothic horror event for genre fans when it arrives in 2026.