Editing Wolf Man (2025)

{{MovieInfobox}}

'''''Wolf Man''''' is an American [[supernatural horror film]] directed by [[Leigh Whannell]], from a screenplay by Lauren Schuker Blum, Rebecca Angelo, Whannell & Corbett Tuck. A reboot of the [[The Wolf Man (1941)|1941 film of the same name]], it stars [[Christopher Abbott]] and [[Julia Garner]]. [[Jason Blum]] serves as a producer through his [[Blumhouse Productions]] banner, alongside Motel Movies.

The film was announced in 2014 and was to be part of the then-forthcoming ''Dark Universe'' franchise, a shared cinematic universe centered on the [[Universal Monsters]]; [[Aaron Guzikowski]] and [[David Callaham]] were attached to pen the script. After the failure of ''[[The Mummy (2017)|The Mummy]]'' (2017), Universal aborted plans for ''Dark Universe'', and shifted focus on standalone films. The success of Whannell's ''[[The Invisible Man (2020)]]'' rekindled Universal's interest for the Monsters franchise, and accepted a pitch by [[Ryan Gosling]] for a new ''Wolf Man'' film  with [[Derek Cianfrance]] to direct. However, Gosling and Cianfrance left the project in 2023, and Whannell (who initially declined to direct) took over as director and provided a new pitch. Filming began in March 2024 in Mangaroa, Upper Hutt, [[New Zealand]].

The film was released by [[Universal Pictures]] on January 17, 2025.

== Premise ==
{{Quote|A San Francisco husband and father named Blake inherits his childhood home in the remote Oregon wilderness following the mysterious disappearance and presumed death of his estranged father. With his marriage to his high-powered, workaholic wife Charlotte suffering, he convinces her to visit the property with their young daughter, Ginger, for a peaceful retreat. At night during a full moon, the family is attacked by a mysterious but deadly werewolf and takes refuge inside the farmhouse, where Blake begins to undergo a monstrous transformation which soon jeopardizes the safety of his wife and daughter.<ref name="WolfManWebsite"/>|Universal Pictures}}

== Cast ==
{{Castlist|* [[Christopher Abbott]] as Blake
* [[Julia Garner]] as Charlotte
* Matilda Firth as Ginger
* [[Sam Jaeger]]
* Ben Prendergast
* Benedict Hardie}}

== Production ==

===Development===
In July 2014, [[Universal Pictures]] announced its plan to reboot its [[Universal Monsters|"Classic Monsters"]] franchise, a series of horror films produced from the 1930s to the 1950s, and its properties as part of a [[shared universe]] dubbed the ''Dark Universe''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/26/movies/homevideo/universal-classic-monsters-puts-horror-on-parade.html|url-access=limited|title=Invasion of the Horror Franchises|date=October 24, 2014|first=J.|last=Hoberman|author-link=J. Hoberman|website=[[The New York Times]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211028022600/https://www.nytimes.com/vi-assets/static-assets/global-2c70a72e6a867f256c6ccdf508c13728.css|archive-date=October 28, 2021|url-status=live|access-date=October 28, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2014/07/universal-classic-movie-monsters-805169/|title=Universal Taps Alex Kurtzman, Chris Morgan To Relaunch Classic Movie Monster Franchises|date=July 16, 2014|first=Mike Jr.|last=Fleming|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211028021555/https://deadline.com/2014/07/universal-classic-movie-monsters-805169/|archive-date=October 28, 2021|url-status=live|access-date=October 28, 2021}}</ref> In November 2014, [[Aaron Guzikowski]] was confirmed to be writing the reboot of Universal's ''[[The Wolf Man (1941 film)|The Wolf Man]]'' (1941), featuring the [[Larry Talbot|character of the same name]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2014/11/fast-and-furious-sequels-justin-lin-universal-1201282337/|title=Will Justin Lin Rev ''Fast & Furious'' Finale?|date=November 12, 2014|first=Mike Jr.|last=Fleming|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211028023055/https://deadline.com/2014/11/fast-and-furious-sequels-justin-lin-universal-1201282337/|archive-date=October 28, 2021|url-status=live|access-date=October 28, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2014/11/dark-matter-blake-crouch-aaron-guzikowski-the-wolfman-1201282922/|title=Sony Confirms ''Dark Matter''; Universal Confirms Aaron Guzikowski To Write ''Wolfman''|date=November 12, 2014|first=Mike Jr.|last=Fleming|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211026033655/https://deadline.com/2014/11/dark-matter-blake-crouch-aaron-guzikowski-the-wolfman-1201282922/|archive-date=October 26, 2021|url-status=live|access-date=October 28, 2021}}</ref> In June 2016, ''[[Deadline Hollywood]]'' reported on rumors that Universal wanted to cast [[Dwayne Johnson]] in the title role.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2016/06/dwayne-johnson-son-of-shaolin-jay-longino-graphic-novel-ryan-kalil-1201777586/|title=Dwayne Johnson Sets Jay Longino Graphic Novel ''Son Of Shaolin'' At Sony|date=June 22, 2016|first=Mike Jr.|last=Fleming|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211028023518/https://deadline.com/2016/06/dwayne-johnson-son-of-shaolin-jay-longino-graphic-novel-ryan-kalil-1201777586/|archive-date=October 28, 2021|url-status=live|access-date=October 28, 2021}}</ref> By October, development on the film began moving forward, and [[David Callaham]] was hired to rewrite the screenplay.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/universal-taps-expendables-writer-pen-937520/|title=Universal Taps ''The Expendables'' Writer to Pen ''The Wolf Man'' (Exclusive)|date=October 13, 2016|first=Rebecca|last=Ford|website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211028024619/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/universal-taps-expendables-writer-pen-937520/|archive-date=October 28, 2021|url-status=live|access-date=October 28, 2021}}</ref> In 2017, ''[[The Mummy (2017 film)|The Mummy]]'' was released as the first film in the ''Dark Universe''; its launch was both a critical and commercial failure and resulted in Universal deciding to shift its focus on individual storytelling and move away from the shared universe concept with the cancelation of ''The Wolf Man'' and other films in development.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/alex-kurtzman-chris-morgan-exit-universal-monsterverse-1055854/|title=Universal's ''Monsterverse'' in Peril as Top Producers Exit (Exclusive)|date=November 8, 2017|first1=Borys|last1=Kit|first2=Aaron|last2=Couch|website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211028030159/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/alex-kurtzman-chris-morgan-exit-universal-monsterverse-1055854/|archive-date=October 28, 2021|url-status=live|access-date=October 28, 2021}}</ref>

Reporter Justin Kroll said the critical and commercial success of [[Leigh Whannell]]'s ''[[The Invisible Man (2020 film)|The Invisible Man]]'' for Universal "scrap[ped] the universe concept" and loosened restrictions for the talent in front and behind the camera, allowing them to decide how they wanted to execute their films in terms of budget and [[MPAA rating]] and invite "big name talent" to pitch their ideas.<ref name="VarietyMay2020Report">{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2020/film/news/ryan-gosling-wolfman-movie-universal-1203426491/|title=Ryan Gosling's ''Wolfman'' Gears Up at Universal as Director Decision Nears (Exclusive)|date=May 29, 2020|first=Justin|last=Kroll|website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211026232221/https://variety.com/2020/film/news/ryan-gosling-wolfman-movie-universal-1203426491/|archive-date=October 26, 2021|url-status=live|access-date=October 27, 2021}}</ref> By early 2020, Universal had been hearing project ideas for a year and a half from filmmakers seeking to develop other characters in the franchise. These meetings included [[Ryan Gosling]]'s pitch to remake ''The Wolf Man'' and star in it, with Lauren Schuker Blum and Rebecca Angelo writing a screenplay described as tonally similar to ''[[Nightcrawler (film)|Nightcrawler]]'' (2014). Several filmmakers were considered to direct, including [[Cory Finley]], whose film ''[[Thoroughbreds (2017 film)|Thoroughbreds]]'' (2017) was reportedly well liked by Universal,<ref name="VarietyMay2020Report" /> and Whannell, who was advised by ''The Invisible Man'' producer [[Jason Blum]] to reconsider after initially declining.<ref name="Deadline-070821">{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2020/07/wolfman-ryan-gosling-leigh-whannell-universal-pictures-blumhouse-the-invisible-man-1202980413/|title=Ryan Gosling's ''Wolfman'' Howling At Universal As Director Leigh Whannell & Blumhouse Join The Pack|date=July 8, 2021|first=Mike Jr.|last=Fleming|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211026234458/https://deadline.com/2020/07/wolfman-ryan-gosling-leigh-whannell-universal-pictures-blumhouse-the-invisible-man-1202980413/|archive-date=October 26, 2021|url-status=live|access-date=October 27, 2021}}</ref> (In February 2020, Whanell had mentioned his interest in making a [[werewolf film]] during a press interview for ''The Invisible Man''.)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.filmink.com.au/leigh-whannell-invisible-man-interview/|title=Leigh Whannell: ''The Invisible Man'' interview|date=February 22, 2020|first=Anthony|last=O'Connor|website=[[FilmInk]]|access-date=July 20, 2024}} Event occurs at 8:05.</ref> In July, Whannell entered negotiations to write a [[film treatment]] and direct.<ref name="Deadline-070821" /> After Whannell left the project due to scheduling conflicts, [[Derek Cianfrance]] entered negotiations to write and direct in October 2021, having previously directed Gosling in ''[[Blue Valentine (film)|Blue Valentine]]'' (2010) and ''[[The Place Beyond the Pines]]'' (2012).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2021/10/ryan-goslings-wolfman-derek-cianfrance-1234857455/|title=Ryan Gosling And Universal's ''Wolfman'' Sets Derek Cianfrance As Director|date=October 26, 2021|first=Justin|last=Kroll|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211026235815/https://deadline.com/2021/10/ryan-goslings-wolfman-derek-cianfrance-1234857455/|archive-date=October 26, 2021|url-status=live|access-date=October 27, 2021}}</ref>
===Filming===
In December 2023, Cianfrance and Gosling were reported to have exited the project, with Whannell taking over the directing duties, along with the screenplay alongside Corbett Tuck, Schuker Blum, and Angelo. Gosling, who retained an [[executive producer]] credit, was replaced by [[Christopher Abbott]] in the lead role.<ref name="Wolfman2024">{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/wolfman-ryan-gosling-drops-out-christopher-abbott-1235746506/ |title=Christopher Abbott Replacing Ryan Gosling to Star in ''Wolf Man'' for Blumhouse, Universal (Exclusive) |date=December 13, 2023 |first=Borys |last=Kit |website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231213182821/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/wolfman-ryan-gosling-drops-out-christopher-abbott-1235746506/ |archive-date=December 13, 2023 |url-status=live |access-date=December 13, 2023}}</ref> In 2024, [[Julia Garner]], [[Sam Jaeger]], and Matilda Firth joined the cast.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2024/01/julia-garner-wolf-man-1235696179/|title=Julia Garner To Star In Blumhouse & Universal's ''Wolf Man''|date=January 5, 2024|first=Anthony|last=D'Alessandro|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|access-date=January 5, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=D'Alessandro |first1=Anthony |title=Blumhouse's ''Wolf Man'' Adds ''The Handmaid{{'}}s Tale''{{'}}s Sam Jaeger |url=https://deadline.com/2024/03/wolf-man-sam-jaeger-1235870103/ |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]] |access-date=March 27, 2024 |date=March 27, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=D'Alessandro |first1=Anthony |title=Blumhouse & Universal's ''Wolf Man'' Adds Matilda Firth |url=https://deadline.com/2024/04/wolf-man-blumhouse-matilda-firth-1235889231/ |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]] |access-date=April 18, 2024 |date=April 18, 2024}}</ref> Ben Prendergast and Benedict Hardie have supporting roles in the film.<ref name="WolfManWebsite">{{Cite web |last=Powster |title=Wolf Man (2025) {{!}} Cast & Synopsis {{!}} January 17 |url=https://www.wolfmanmovie.com/synopsis/ |access-date=2024-09-07 |website=Wolf Man (2025) Movie Site |language=en}}</ref> [[Principal photography]] began on March 17, 2024, in Mangaroa, Upper Hutt, [[New Zealand]], with Stefan Duscio as cinematographer.<ref>{{Cite tweet |author=[[Jason Blum]] |user=jason_blum |number=1769527758995251632 |date=March 17, 2024 |title=Day one on the set of Wolf Man. Director Leigh Whannell pictured here. LFG!!! 📸: Nicola Dove/Universal Pictures and @blumhouse |access-date=March 18, 2024 |link=https://twitter.com/jason_blum/status/1769527758995251632 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240318012503/https://twitter.com/jason_blum/status/1769527758995251632 |archive-date=March 18, 2024}}</ref>

== Marketing ==
In August 2024, during [[Universal's Halloween Horror Nights]] in Orlando, a booth revealed the film's logo and teaser image, and on September 4, an actor took the stage for a photo-op performing as the film's werewolf. The werewolf design—a creature with a "balding head", "long white hair on the back of his head and as facial hair", "long, bony fingers", and "sharp teeth"—drew divisive reactions from online users and journalists.{{efn|Attributed to multiple sources.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://screenrant.com/wolf-man-movie-design-christopher-abbott-look-like/|title=What Christopher Abbott's Wolf Man Looks Like|date=September 7, 2024|first=Cooper|last=Hood|website=[[Screen Rant]]|access-date=September 7, 2024|url-status=live|archive-date=September 7, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240907151624/https://screenrant.com/wolf-man-movie-design-christopher-abbott-look-like/}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbr.com/wolf-man-poster-logo/|title=Wolf Man Promo Poster Reveals Official Logo and First Look at Blumhouse Reboot|first=Jeremy|last=Dick|work=CBR|date=August 27, 2024|access-date=September 6, 2024|url-status=live|archive-date=September 7, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240907032704/https://www.cbr.com/wolf-man-poster-logo/}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://kotaku.com/new-wolfman-werewolf-universal-halloween-first-look-bad-1851641170|title=Here's Our First Look At The New Wolf Man And Uh...Oh...|first=Zack|last=Zwiezen|work=[[Kotaku]]|date=September 5, 2024|access-date=September 6, 2024|url-status=live|archive-date=September 7, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240907032818/https://kotaku.com/new-wolfman-werewolf-universal-halloween-first-look-bad-1851641170}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/news/first-look-at-universal-s-wolf-man-reboot-teases-divisive-new-look/ar-AA1q6761?ocid=EMMX&apiversion=v2&noservercache=1&domshim=1&renderwebcomponents=1&wcseo=1&batchservertelemetry=1&noservertelemetry=1|title=First Look at Universal's Wolf Man Reboot Teases Divisive New Look|first=Richard|last=Fink|work=MSN|date=September 5, 2024|access-date=September 6, 2024|url-status=live|archive-date=September 7, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240907033222/https://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/news/first-look-at-universal-s-wolf-man-reboot-teases-divisive-new-look/ar-AA1q6761?ocid=EMMX&apiversion=v2&noservercache=1&domshim=1&renderwebcomponents=1&wcseo=1&batchservertelemetry=1&noservertelemetry=1}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.slashfilm.com/1657811/halloween-horror-nights-universal-wolf-man-fans-hate/|title=Halloween Horror Nights Has Revealed Universal's New Wolf Man, And Fans Are Not Over The Moon|first=Jeremy|last=Mathai|work=[[/Film]]|date=September 5, 2024|access-date=September 6, 2024|url-status=live|archive-date=September 7, 2024|archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/FfjeQ}}</ref>}}

On September 6, Universal released a [[teaser trailer]], poster, and synopsis.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2024/film/trailers/wolf-man-trailer-christopher-abbott-julia-garner-1235888479/|title=‘Wolf Man’ Trailer: Christopher Abbott Transforms in Bloody Horror Remake|first=Diego|last=Ramos Bechara|work=Variety|date=September 6, 2024|access-date=September 6, 2024|url-status=live|archive-date=September 7, 2024|archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/YvwPO}}</ref> Hannah Shaw-Williams of ''[[/Film]]'' suggested that the timing of the teaser's release was "damage control" over the poorly-received werewolf design but noted the absence of the titular creature in the teaser.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.slashfilm.com/1658904/wolf-man-trailer-leigh-whannell-horror-movie-controversial-design-hidden/|title=Universal Hides Its Controversial Monster In Leigh Whannell's Creepy Wolf Man Trailer|first=Hannah|last=Shaw-Williams|work=/Film|date=September 6, 2024|access-date=September 6, 2024|url-status=live|archive-date=September 7, 2024|archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/Xn8nA}}</ref>

== Release ==
''Wolf Man'' is scheduled to be released in the United States on January 17, 2025.<ref>{{cite web |last1=D'Alessandro |first1=Anthony |title=Blumhouse's ''Wolf Man'' Runs From Fall To MLK Weekend 2025; ''The Woman In The Yard'' Unset For Now |url=https://deadline.com/2024/03/the-wolf-man-the-woman-in-the-yard-release-dates-1235871933/ |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]] |access-date=March 29, 2024 |date=March 29, 2024}}</ref> It was previously scheduled to be released on October 25, 2024.<ref name="Wolfman20242" />

== Trailer ==
<gallery>
File:Wolf Man - Official Teaser
</gallery>

== External links ==
*[https://www.wolfmanmovie.com/ Official website]
*{{IMDb title|12435032}}

== References ==
<references />
[[Category:2025 films]]
[[Category:2020s American films]]
[[Category:2020s English-language films]]
[[Category:2020s horror thriller films]]
[[Category:American horror thriller films]]
[[Category:American werewolf films]]
[[Category:Blumhouse Productions films]]
[[Category:Films about murder]]
[[Category:Films directed by Leigh Whannell]]
[[Category:Films produced by Jason Blum]]
[[Category:Films shot in New Zealand]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Leigh Whannell]]
[[Category:Reboot films]]
[[Category:The Wolf Man (franchise)]]
[[Category:Universal Pictures films]]
[[Category:English-language horror thriller films]]
[[Category:Pages containing Mature Content]]