Teen Wolf

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Teen Wolf
Teen Wolf.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Rod Daniel
Written by
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography Tim Suhrstedt
Edited byLois Freeman-Fox
Music by Miles Goodman
Production
companies
Distributed by Atlantic Releasing Corporation
Release date
  • August 23, 1985 (1985-08-23)
Running time
92 minutes [1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$4 million [2]
Box office$30 million [3]

Teen Wolf is a 1985 American coming-of-age comedy film directed by Rod Daniel and written by Jeph Loeb and Matthew Weisman. Michael J. Fox stars as the title character, a high school student whose ordinary life is changed when he discovers that he is a werewolf. James Hampton, Scott Paulin, Susan Ursitti, Jerry Levine, Matt Adler, and Jay Tarses appear in supporting roles. Filming took place from November to December 1984.

Contents

Teen Wolf was released on August 23, 1985, by Atlantic Releasing Corporation. It received mixed reviews, but was a commercial success, grossing over $30 million on a $4 million budget. [4] The film's success spawned a titular franchise, including an animated series adaptation in 1986, a sequel film in 1987, the supernatural live action drama series that aired on MTV from 2011 to 2017, and its continuation film in 2022.

Plot

Scott Howard, a 17-year-old high school student, is tired of just being average. Living in a small town in Nebraska, his only claim to popularity is playing for the Beavers, his school's unsuccessful basketball team. Scott fawns after Pamela Wells even though she is dating his rival Mick who plays for the Dragons, an opposing team that bullies him on the court. Completely oblivious to the affections of his best friend Boof, Scott constantly rebuffs her advances due to their history together.

After startling changes such as long hair suddenly sprouting on his hands, he decides to quit the team, but his coach, Finstock, changes his mind. Scoring a keg with his friend Stiles for a party, Scott and Boof end up alone in a closet and Scott gets rough when they begin making out, accidentally clawing her back. When he returns home, he undergoes a strange transformation, discovering he is a werewolf. His father Harold reveals he is one too, and that he had hoped Scott would not inherit the curse because 'sometimes it skips a generation'.

Scott reveals his secret to Stiles, who agrees to keep it a secret. But, when Scott becomes stressed on the court, he becomes the Wolf and helps win their first game in three years. As a result, Scott gains fame and popularity as the high school is overwhelmed with 'Wolf Fever'. He is also alienated from Boof and his teammates as he begins to hog the ball during games.

Stiles merchandises "Teen Wolf" paraphernalia and Pamela finally begins paying attention to Scott. After he gets a role as a "werewolf cavalryman" in the school play alongside her, she comes onto him in the dressing room and they have sex. Later, after a date set up to make Mick jealous, Pamela tells Scott that she is not interested in him as a boyfriend, much to his disappointment. Harold tells Scott he is responsible for his son's conflicts with vice principal Rusty Thorne, due to a scare Harold had given him when he was in high school. He advises Scott to be himself.

Boof agrees to go with Scott to the upcoming Spring Dance, but only if he goes as himself. Scott goes alone as the Wolf instead. She takes him into the hallway and they kiss, which turns Scott back into himself. When they return to the dance, Scott garners everyone's attention, including Pamela. A jealous Mick punches him in the face, then proceeds to insult Boof and taunt Scott until the Wolf angrily attacks. Scott runs out of the hall right into Thorne, who threatens expulsion. Harold sends his son home before going on to intimidate Thorne by growling in his face, causing the vice principal to wet himself.

Scott renounces using the Wolf and quits the basketball team. During the championship game, he arrives to rally his teammates to play without the Wolf. Despite the odds, the team begins to work together and they make ground against the Dragons. During the final quarter, behind by one point, Scott is fouled by Mick at the buzzer. He makes both free throws, winning the championship. Brushing past Pamela, he kisses Boof as his father embraces them both. Mick tells Pamela that they should leave, but she tells him to "drop dead" and storms off while everyone else celebrates the victory.

Cast

Production

Teen Wolf was one of the first scripts written by Jeph Loeb. [5] Loeb was hired to write it because the studio, after the surprising success of the film Valley Girl , wanted to make a comedy that would cost almost nothing and take very little time to film. The project came together when Michael J. Fox accepted the lead role and his Family Ties co-star Meredith Baxter-Birney became pregnant, which created a delay in the sitcom's filming that allowed Fox time to complete filming and then return to his sitcom. [6]

On a production budget of $4 million, principal photography for Teen Wolf began in November 1984 and concluded the next month. [2] James Hampton originally auditioned for the role of Coach Bobby Finstock but was later cast as Harold Howard. [7] The beaver mascot logo used in the film was the Oregon State University Beavers logo, in use by the university at that time. [8]

Release

Atlantic Releasing spent $4 million on advertising for Teen Wolf. [9] Released in the U.S. on August 23, 1985, Teen Wolf debuted at No. 2 in its opening weekend, behind Back to the Future (also starring Michael J. Fox). [10] After its initial run, the film grossed $33,086,661 domestically, [11] [12] with a worldwide gross of about $80 million. [3]

Teen Wolf was first released on DVD via MGM in a "Double Feature" pack with its sequel Teen Wolf Too on August 27, 2002. The film was later released on Blu-ray on March 29, 2011. [13] The only special feature available on any of the releases is the film's theatrical trailer. The film was reissued on Blu-ray Disc on August 8, 2017, by Scream! Factory, with a remastered transfer and a new "making of" featurette. [14]

Critical response

The film's critical reception was at best mixed. [15] Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports that 46% of 35 critics have given the film a positive review, with a rating average of 5.4 out of 10. The consensus summarizes: "Though Michael J. Fox is as charismatic as ever, Teen Wolf's coming-of-age themes can't help but feel a little stale and formulaic." [16] On Metacritic, the film has a 25 out of 100 rating based on 5 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews". [17]

Vincent Canby of The New York Times gave the film a negative review calling it "aggressively boring". He went on to say that "the film is overacted by everybody except Mr. Fox, who is seen to far better advantage in Back to the Future ." [18]

Colin Greenland reviewed Teen Wolf for White Dwarf #75, and stated that "Anxious that their movie should be perfectly wholesome, clean and bloodless, writers and director forgot Scott was supposed to be a werewolf, and made him a basketball star instead." [19]

Soundtrack

Teen Wolf: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
No.TitleContributing artistsLength
1."Flesh on Fire"James House4:05
2."Big Bad Wolf"The Wolf Sisters2:36
3."Win in the End"Mark Safan4:41
4."Shootin' for the Moon" Amy Holland 2:45
5."Silhouette" David Palmer 3:54
6."Way to Go"Mark Vieha3:45
7."Good News"David Morgan2:56
8."Transformation (Instrumental)" Miles Goodman 2:29
9."Boof (Instrumental)"Miles Goodman1:54
Total length:29:05

Legacy

Animated television series

An animated series adaptation aired on CBS for two seasons from 1986 to 1987. Townsend Coleman voiced the lead role of Scott Howard, with James Hampton reprising his role as Harold Howard. The series retained the basic premise and most of the characters from the film, but made changes to the story, such as Scott attempting to keep his werewolf identity secret from the general public. It also featured new characters, including Scott's grandparents (voiced by Stacy Keach Sr. and June Foray) and younger sister Lupe.

Sequels

A sequel entitled Teen Wolf Too was released in 1987 and starred Jason Bateman as Todd Howard, Scott Howard's cousin. Only James Hampton and Mark Holton returned from the original film, with the sequel focusing mostly on new characters led by Todd. Teen Wolf Too received negative reviews and failed to match the success of its predecessor, grossing $7.9 million on a $3 million budget. A second sequel starring Alyssa Milano was planned, but never filmed. [20] Another female version of Teen Wolf was in the works that later developed into 1989's Teen Witch .

Live-action television series

MTV greenlit a television series adaptation in 2009 that was developed by Jeff Davis. While also centered on a high school student who becomes a werewolf, the story was reimagined as a supernatural teen drama with elements of action and horror. [21] Tyler Posey portrayed the title character, whose name was changed to Scott McCall for the series. It aired for six seasons from 2011 to 2017. A film continuation, Teen Wolf: The Movie , was released on January 26, 2023. [22]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Teen Wolf Too</i> 1987 film by Christopher Leitch

Teen Wolf Too is a 1987 American fantasy comedy film directed by Christopher Leitch, from a script written by R. Timothy Kring. It is the sequel to Teen Wolf (1985), and second installment overall in the Teen Wolf franchise. Starring in his feature film debut, Jason Bateman stars as the cousin to Michael J. Fox's character from the first installment. James Hampton, John Astin and Kim Darby feature in supporting roles.

<i>The Wolf Man</i> (1941 film) American horror film

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeph Loeb</span> American writer

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Hampton (actor)</span> American actor, television director, and screenwriter (1936–2021)

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<i>Teen Wolf</i> (1986 TV series) American animated television series

Teen Wolf, known as The Cartoon Adventures of Teen Wolf in the United Kingdom, is an animated television series broadcast from 1986 to 1987, that was produced by Southern Star / Hanna-Barbera Australia in association with Clubhouse Pictures in the first season and Atlantic/Kushner-Locke in the second season. It was based on the live action film Teen Wolf (1985), and the second installment overall in the titular franchise.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dylan O'Brien</span> American actor (born 1991)

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<i>Teen Wolf</i> season 1 Season of television series

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<i>Teen Wolf</i> season 2 Season of television series

The second season of Teen Wolf, an American supernatural drama created by Jeff Davis based upon the 1985 film of the same name, premiered on June 3, 2012, and concluded on August 13, 2012, on the MTV network. The season featured 12 episodes.

<i>Teen Wolf</i> season 3 Season of television series

The third season of Teen Wolf, an American supernatural drama created by Jeff Davis and to some extent, based on the 1985 film of the same name, premiered on June 3, 2013. The series was renewed for a third season of 24 episodes on July 12, 2012.

<i>Teen Wolf</i> season 5 Season of television series

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<i>Teen Wolf</i> season 4 Season of television series

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<i>Teen Wolf</i> season 6 Season of television series

The sixth and final season of Teen Wolf, an American supernatural drama created by Jeff Davis and to some extent based on the 1985 film of the same name, received an order of 20 episodes on July 9, 2015, and premiered on November 15, 2016. The second half of the season premiered on July 30, 2017.

<i>Teen Wolf</i> (franchise) Film franchise

The Teen Wolf franchise consists of American supernatural-teen drama installments released through various media including: two theatrical films and an animated television series based on the movies; a live-action reboot show, its streaming exclusive movie continuation, and a spin-off series which follows the ending of the film. Based on an original story by Jeph Loeb and Matthew Weisman, the plot of each release centers around adolescent individuals who are not a part of the popular crowd amongst their peers, whose lives change once they become werewolves allowing them to gain superhuman abilities through supernatural means. The franchise additionally includes a 1989 standalone spin-off film that was initially released in theaters which centers around a teenage witch, as well as its stage musical adaptation.

<i>Teen Wolf: The Movie</i> 2023 American supernatural thriller film

Teen Wolf: The Movie is a 2023 American supernatural thriller drama film directed by Russell Mulcahy and written by Jeff Davis. The film is the fifth installment in the franchise, and is a continuation of the MTV series Teen Wolf. The movie includes most of the cast reprising their roles, including Tyler Posey, Crystal Reed, Tyler Hoechlin, Holland Roden, Colton Haynes, Shelley Hennig, Dylan Sprayberry, Linden Ashby, Melissa Ponzio, and JR Bourne. It follows werewolf Scott McCall (Posey) as he protects his California town from an old threat.

References

  1. ↑ "TEEN WOLF (PG) (!)". British Board of Film Classification . November 15, 1985. Archived from the original on November 19, 2015. Retrieved August 5, 2015.
  2. 1 2 "Teen Wolf". American Film Institute . Archived from the original on January 29, 2023. Retrieved January 29, 2023.
  3. 1 2 Borrelli, Christopher (September 27, 2011). "'Teen Wolf' director's brutally honest commentary". Chicago Tribune. p. 2. Archived from the original on April 8, 2015. Retrieved September 17, 2012.
  4. ↑ "Teen Wolf". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on June 6, 2020. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  5. ↑ R.J. Carter (January 1, 2002) Interview: Jeph Loeb: Look! Up In The Sky! Archived March 12, 2010, at the Wayback Machine The-Trades.com. Retrieved October 31, 2009.
  6. ↑ Mays, Robert (February 21, 2012). "We Attend the Teen Wolf Reunion Screening". Archived from the original on September 22, 2013. Retrieved July 23, 2016.
  7. ↑ Cormier, Roger (August 23, 2020). "15 Facts About Teen Wolf On Its 35th Anniversary". Mental Floss . Archived from the original on April 5, 2023. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
  8. ↑ "Mascot Monday: Benny Beaver". KCcollegegameday. July 27, 2009. Archived from the original on May 18, 2017. Retrieved September 17, 2012.
  9. ↑ Mathews, Jack (July 3, 1985). "'Future': A Boon to Fox and 'Wolf'?" . Los Angeles Times . p. 1. Archived from the original on January 26, 2023. Retrieved January 26, 2023– via ProQuest.
  10. ↑ "Michael Fox Stays on Top With 'Future,' 'wolf'". Sun-Sentinel. August 28, 1985. Archived from the original on June 14, 2012. Retrieved January 1, 2011.
  11. ↑ "Teen Wolf (1985)". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on February 22, 2010. Retrieved August 1, 2010.
  12. ↑ "Movie Teen Wolf - Box Office Data, News, Cast Information". The Numbers. Archived from the original on September 16, 2010. Retrieved August 1, 2010.
  13. ↑ Liebman, Martin (April 3, 2011). "Teen Wolf Blu-ray". Blu-ray.com. Archived from the original on February 2, 2020. Retrieved September 17, 2012.
  14. ↑ "Teen Wolf Blu-ray". Archived from the original on May 21, 2019. Retrieved August 11, 2017.
  15. ↑ Variety Staff (December 31, 1984). "Teen Wolf". Variety. Archived from the original on July 26, 2020. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  16. ↑ "Teen Wolf - Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes . Flixster. Archived from the original on August 20, 2012. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
  17. ↑ "Teen Wolf". Metacritic . CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on January 2, 2016. Retrieved August 5, 2015.
  18. ↑ Canby, Vincent (August 23, 1985). "SCREEN: 'TEEN WOLF,' WITH MICHAEL J. FOX". New York Times. Archived from the original on May 24, 2015. Retrieved September 17, 2012.
  19. ↑ Greenland, Colin (March 1986). "2020 Vision". White Dwarf (75). Games Workshop: 7.
  20. ↑ "The Teen Wolf You Never Saw, Sadly". Io9.com. July 23, 2009. Archived from the original on December 27, 2011. Retrieved August 1, 2010.
  21. ↑ Weisman, Jon (June 23, 2009). "MTV greenlights eight projects". Variety. Archived from the original on June 6, 2020. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  22. ↑ Petski, Denise (October 7, 2022). "'Teen Wolf: The Movie' Gets Premiere Date On Paramount+; Watch First Clip". Deadline. Archived from the original on February 5, 2023. Retrieved October 8, 2022.
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