Wolf Man director Leigh Whannell has teased one key difference about the titular monster because of the movie’s use of “100% practical” effects. The upcoming Wolf Man reboot focuses on a family who take shelter in a farmhouse during a full moon, after they’re attacked by a mysterious creature while on the road. As the couple and their daughter recover from the incident, the father, Blake (Christopher Abbott), begins to change, slowly transforming into the titular monster. The reboot was written by Whannell and Corbett Tuck, while being produced by Jason Blum and Ryan Gosling.
Speaking about the movie with SFX Magazine (via GamesRadar), Whannell revealed Wolf Man’s titular monster will look different from previous incarnations because of the film’s “100% practical” effects. The director confirmed the design will be different from the werewolf’s classic look, but also revealed the version promoted at Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights also doesn’t look like the movie’s final version. Check out what Whannell had to say about the Wolf Man’s design below:

I think you have to bring a new approach. Maybe there are some people that won’t like it because they love the traditional wolf too much, but that was the approach I wanted. [The Wolf Man is] 100% practical, all make-up – there are no CGI elements.

Things slipped through the cracks, and it was like, ‘Oh, they’re doing this promotion for Wolf Man at a theme park, but it doesn’t look right. We shouldn’t be putting that out in the world, because people are going to think that’s what our wolf looks like.’ My only response is to say, ‘Look, that doesn’t represent what we’re doing.’ All I can do is wait for the movie to come out. Then hopefully people will be like, ‘Oh, I see what they were doing.’

What Practical Effects Mean For Whannell’s Take On The Wolf Man

He Won’t Look Exactly Like A Typical Werewolf

Wolf Man’s body horror inspiration has been teased by Whannell before, the director previously likening the movie to The Fly. This is not only in terms of Blake’s transformation, but also the tragedy of him becoming a monster, with nothing his wife, Charlotte (Julia Garner), or daughter, Ginger (Matilda Firth), can do to save him. However, it seems he won’t have the same hairy appearance as Lon Chaney Jr.’s rendition in the 1941 original, the reliance on realism in its practical effects marking a key difference from its source material.

2:42

Related

5 Most Anticipated Horror Movies Arriving in 2025

2025 is looking to be an excellent year for the horror genre.

The film’s trailer has already hinted at a more monstrous form, with Blake slowly becoming more animalistic over the course of the movie. Wolf Man’s cast being isolated on a farm will make the transformation even more terrifying, as the family is forced to watch as he morphs into a monster. Since Whannell’s interesting new take on The Invisible Man became a critical and box office success in 2020, his changes will likely benefit the story being told. The promotional Wolf Man being different also means some big surprises could be in store when the movie comes out.
Our Take On The Wolf Man’s Different Look & Practical Effects

The Monster’s New Look Will Benefit The Movie

Since this new take on the classic werewolf story will focus on family terror and tragedy, it makes sense for a different design to be shown to reflect this key change in the story. Given how beastly Blake’s change is going to be, there could be different designs throughout the film, much like The Fly, which signal his deteriorating physical state. With plenty of surprises the movie could still have under its belt, it should prove interesting to see the full Wolf Man design when the film arrives in theaters.

Wolf Man arrives in theaters on Januay 17, 2025.

Source: SFX Magazine (via GamesRadar)

Your changes have been saved

My List

My Favorite Movies
My Watchlist

Wolfman is a reboot of the classic Universal Monsters movie The Wolfman. Christopher Abbott stars in the lead role and is helmed by The Invisible Man director Leigh Whannell. The film follows the same premise as the original and the 2010 reboot, focusing on a man who becomes a werewolf after falling victim to an ancient curse.

Release Date

January 17, 2025

Cast

Christopher Abbott
, Julia Garner
, Matilda Firth
, Sam Jaeger
, Benedict Hardie

Director

Leigh Whannell

Writers

Leigh Whannell
, Corbett Tuck
, Lauren Schuker Blum
, Rebecca Angelo

Studio(s)

Blumhouse Productions

Distributor(s)

Universal Pictures

Expand