It's a feast of Universal Studios horror news today. Hot on the heels of the Halloween Kills teaser, word has come in that Ryan Gosling is set to howl in The Wolfman remake.
Deadline indicates that Leigh Whannell is gearing up to direct Gosling in the Universal reboot, which follows Whannell's 2020 hit The Invisible Man. The latter movie reimagines the original Universal property (itself inspired by an H.G. Wells story) as a topical, post-Me Too tale of domestic abuse, as Elisabeth Moss seeks asylum from her monstrous ex-husband. The movie was buoyed by strong critical notices, eventually grossing $129 million against a meagre $7 million budget.
Both The Invisible Man and The Wolfman are indicators of how Universal is reshaping its 'Dark Universe' approach. Initially, there was to be a series of interconnected movies each showcasing a classic monster from the studio's past. However, it never got further than 2017 Tom Cruise vehicle The Mummy, which following disastrous box office and reviews, put the franchise on ice. Since then, there has been an emphasis on standalone horror stories, of which The Invisible Man is the most recent exemplar.
For The Wolfman, Whannell will be re-teaming with production company Blumhouse, which has emerged as a horror tour de force with the likes of the Oscar-winning Get Out. Whannell's film purports to be a remake of 1941 shocker The Wolf Man, which starred Lon Chaney Jr. in the title role as a bipedal lycanthrope who wreaks havoc. Directed by George Waggner, the original movie exerted a powerful influence on Hollywood's interpretation of werewolves, which was later revised in John Landis' groundbreaking An American Werewolf in London.
There's no release date confirmed for the remake/reboot, so watch this space. Let us know @Cineworld what you think of the news.
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