In 2020, Leigh Whannell’s “The Invisible Man” reimagined HG Well’s classic novel as a modern-day story about abusive relationships. Flash forward a few years later, the filmmaker’s interpretation of “Wolf Man” will likely repeat that with a contemporary telling of another beloved Universal Monster.
Universal attempted to have their own interconnective cinematic universe through the use of their classic horror icons in the Dark Universe starting with the Tom Cruise-starring vehicle The Mummy. However, a poor box office performance combined with a critical panning forced the studio to go back to the drawing board. And after the success of “The Invisible Man,” it seems like Universal may have found a way to introduce these classic monsters to a new generation.
In addition to “The Invisible Man,” Whannell’s credits include co-directing and co-starring in “Saw,” as well as helming “Upgrade” and “Insidious: Chapter 3.” He co-wrote the script with Corbett Tuck, Lauren Schuker Blum & Rebecca Angelo. Jason Blum serves as producer, while Whannell, Ryan Gosling, Ken Kao, Bea Sequeira, and Mel Turner are executive producers.
The film stars Christopher Abbott who inherited more than a remote Oregon home from his missing father. Julia Garner, Matilda Firth, and Sam Jaeger also star.
“Wolf Man” is scheduled to hit theaters on January 17, 2025.
Here’s the official plot synopsis for “Wolf Man:”
Golden Globe nominee Christopher Abbott (Poor Things, It Comes at Night) stars as Blake, a San Francisco husband and father, who inherits his remote childhood home in rural Oregon after his own father vanishes and is presumed dead. With his marriage to his high-powered wife, Charlotte (Emmy winner Julia Garner; Ozark, Inventing Anna), fraying, Blake persuades Charlotte to take a break from the city and visit the property with their young daughter, Ginger (Matlida Firth; Hullraisers, Coma).
But as the family approaches the farmhouse in the dead of night, they’re attacked by an unseen animal and, in a desperate escape, barricade themselves inside the home as the creature prowls the perimeter. As the night stretches on, however, Blake begins to behave strangely, transforming into something unrecognizable, and Charlotte will be forced to decide whether the terror within their house is more lethal than the danger without.
