The Wolfman (2010 film)

Last updated
The Wolfman
Wolfman-final-small.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Joe Johnston
Screenplay by
Based on The Wolf Man
by Curt Siodmak
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography Shelly Johnson
Edited by
Music by Danny Elfman
Production
companies
Distributed byUniversal Pictures
Release dates
  • January 27, 2010 (2010-01-27)(Arclight Hollywood)
  • February 12, 2010 (2010-02-12)(United States)
Running time
103 minutes [1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$150 million [1]
Box office$142.6 million [2]

The Wolfman is a 2010 American horror film directed by Joe Johnston, from a screenplay by Andrew Kevin Walker and David Self. A remake of the 1941 film of the same name, it stars Benicio del Toro (who also produces), Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt and Hugo Weaving. In the film, after his brother is brutally murdered, an American actor named Lawrence Talbot (del Toro) returns to his ancestral homeland where he is bitten by a werewolf and cursed to become one.

Contents

Mark Romanek was originally attached to direct the film but left weeks before filming due to creative differences and budgetary issues. Johnston was hired four weeks before principal photography, under the impression he could shoot the film in 80 days as Universal intended. However, re-shoots extended production, inflated the budget, and delayed the film's release several times. The film underwent numerous alternative versions during post-production. Danny Elfman was briefly replaced by Paul Haslinger as the film's composer, however, the studio reverted to Elfman's previously completed score a month before the film's release after finding Haslinger's electronic-based score unsuitable.

The Wolfman was theatrically released on February 12, 2010, by Universal Pictures to negative reviews. The film was also a box office bomb, grossing $142.6 million against a production budget of $150 million. Despite the film’s failure, Rick Baker and make-up effects supervisor Dave Elsey won the Academy Award for Best Makeup at the 83rd Academy Awards for their work.

Plot

In 1891, Ben Talbot is attacked in the woods by a wolf-like humanoid. His brother, Shakespearean actor Lawrence Talbot, returns home after receiving a letter from Ben's fiancée Gwen Conliffe informing him of Ben's disappearance. Lawrence reunites with his estranged father Sir John, who informs him that Ben's body has already been found mutilated.

At a local pub, Lawrence overhears the locals believing it to be a wild animal. However, many blame gypsies who are camped outside the town. Another claims there was a similar murder 25 years earlier; a werewolf was the suspected killer. Lawrence has flashbacks as he tours his family's home where his mother Solana seemingly committed suicide when he was a boy. Lawrence saw his father standing over her dead body; he was sent to Lambeth Hospital in London for a year, having suffered from delusions connected to the event.

Lawrence visits the gypsies during a full moon. The local townspeople raid the camp to confiscate a dancing bear they believe is the killer. The werewolf then attacks the camp, killing several gypsies and townspeople before biting Lawrence and escaping. A gypsy woman named Maleva sutures Lawrence's shoulder wounds, but another gypsy insists the now-cursed Lawrence should be killed before he kills others. Maleva refuses, saying he is still a man and only a loved one can release him.

After a night of fever dreams, Lawrence recovers with unnatural speed and develops heightened vitality and senses. Inspector Francis Aberline arrives to investigate, suspecting Lawrence is responsible based on his mental history. Terrified of possibly harming Gwen, Lawrence sends her to London. He follows Sir John to Solana's crypt, where Sir John locks himself in a room and gives his son a cryptic warning. Lawrence undergoes a painful transformation into a werewolf before running off into the woods and killing a group of local hunters.

The next morning, Aberline and the police arrest Lawrence. Taken back to Lambeth, Lawrence is subjected to advanced treatments overseen by the sadistic Dr. Hoenneger. Sir John visits Lawrence; explaining 25 years ago during a hunting expedition in India, he was bitten by a feral boy infected with lycanthropy. Sir John was the werewolf who bit Lawrence and is responsible for the recent murders, including Solana and Ben. He made Singh lock him up every full moon night and contemplated suicide for years. Driven insane by his condition, Sir John has come to embrace his curse and has decided to let himself loose during his transformations. He informs Lawrence the moon will be full and leaves a razor in case Lawrence contemplates suicide.

By nightfall, Dr. Hoenneger conducts an evening lecture with Lawrence as a case study. Lawrence attempts to warn the attendees of the impending danger, but they laugh it off and continue. Transforming once more, Lawrence kills Dr. Hoenegger and a few orderlies before he escapes and goes on a rampage. The next day, Lawrence visits Gwen's antique shop for help. They admit their love for each other and share a passionate kiss. Aberline waits outside Talbot Hall, arming himself and accompanying policemen with silver bullets. Gwen searches for Maleva hoping to cure Lawrence, but Maleva tells her there isn't any cure and Lawrence must die.

Lawrence arrives at Talbot Hall, where Sir John has killed Singh and one of Aberline's men. He loads a gun with Singh's silver bullets and attempts to shoot Sir John. Unfortunately, he realizes too late Sir John had removed the powder from the cartridges years ago. As the two struggle, with Sir John striking Lawrence with a silver cane, the full moon arises and the Talbots transform into werewolves. They set Talbot Hall on fire during their fight. Sir John initially gains the upper hand, wounding Lawrence. However, the latter manages to kick his deranged father into the fireplace and ultimately decapitates his father, avenging the deaths of his mother and brother.

Still in his werewolf form, Lawrence pursues Gwen and corners her above a gorge. She pleads with Lawrence, and his consciousness recognizes her. The police and hunters approach, distracting Lawrence long enough for Gwen to fatally shoot him with Aberline's gun. Lawrence reverts to human form; thanking Gwen for setting him free and dies in her arms. As Talbot Hall burns, Aberline is horrified with the knowledge he was bitten by Lawrence as he watches the full moon come into view, foreshadowing his imminent fate in becoming the next werewolf.

Cast

Max von Sydow appears as an elderly man who gives Lawrence the wolf-head cane; his part was cut from the theatrical film but is restored in the unrated director's cut. [3] Make-up effects creator Rick Baker makes a cameo appearance as the Gypsy man who is the first killed. [4] The Wolfman's howl incorporated elements from rock singers Gene Simmons and David Lee Roth, as well as opera singers and animal impersonators. [5] [6]

Production

Development

Joe Johnston was hired as director in February 2008, replacing Mark Romanek, who exited the film due to creative differences. Joe Johnston.jpg
Joe Johnston was hired as director in February 2008, replacing Mark Romanek, who exited the film due to creative differences.

In March 2006, Universal Pictures announced the remake of The Wolf Man with actor Benicio del Toro, a huge fan of the original and collector of Wolf Man memorabilia, in the lead role. [7] [8] Screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker was attached to the screenplay, developing the original film's story to include additional characters as well as plot points that would take advantage of modern visual effects. [9] Del Toro also looked towards Werewolf of London and The Curse of the Werewolf for inspiration. [10]

In February 2007, director Mark Romanek was attached to helm The Wolfman. [9] Romanek's original vision was to "infuse a balance of cinema in a popcorn movie scenario", stating, "When there’s a certain amount of money involved, these things make studios and producers a little nervous. They don’t necessarily understand it or they feel that the balance will swing too far to something esoteric, and we could never come to an agreement on the right balance for that type of thing. Ultimately it made more sense for them to find a director that was gonna fulfill their idea of the film that they wanted, and we just sort of parted ways." [11]

In January 2008, Romanek left the project because of creative differences. [12] Brett Ratner emerged as a frontrunner to replace Romanek, but the studio also met with Frank Darabont, James Mangold and Joe Johnston. They were also interested in Bill Condon, and Martin Campbell was interested. [13] Johnston was hired to direct on 3 February 2008, and the film's shooting schedule and budget remained as intended. [14] Johnston hired David Self to rewrite the script. [15]

Filming

Shooting took place from 3 March to 23 June 2008, in Britain. [16] At that time the film was budgeted at US$85 million. [12] They shot at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire, Chatsworth in Derbyshire and Castle Combe in Wiltshire. [17] They transformed Chatsworth House by adding weeds, dead grass and ivy. [18] They also shot in Lacock in Wiltshire, a village conserved by the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, for a day (the butcher's barn and external shots). Universal donated £5,000 to the village, in return for filming in the tithe barn for a scene involving frozen corpses. [19] A funeral scene was also shot beside the Temple of Ancient Virtue at Stowe House, with the temple coated in false ivy and copious amounts of smoke/mist floating over the setting. There were also scenes filmed on Dartmoor, Devon at Foggintor Quarry. Pick-ups at Pinewood were conducted in May 2009. [20]

The cast and crew were back on location re-shooting the film in the grounds of the Old Royal Naval College and park in Greenwich over the weekends of 22-25 and 30–31 May 2009. The purpose of the re-shoots was to change the way one werewolf looked in the film. Previously, it stood on two legs, but now, it stands on four. Also, an action scene was added between "the Wolf Man and the Werewolf" according to second unit director Vic Armstrong. [21]

Visual effects

Rick Baker chose to keep his version faithful to the original Jack Pierce design, getting as close as possible. Wolfmandeltoro.jpg
Rick Baker chose to keep his version faithful to the original Jack Pierce design, getting as close as possible.

Rick Baker created the make-up for The Wolfman. When he heard Universal was remaking the film, he eagerly pursued it, as both The Wolf Man and Frankenstein inspired him to become a make-up artist as a child. He acknowledged transforming del Toro was not difficult because he is a hairy man: "Going from Benicio to Benicio as the Wolf Man isn't a really extreme difference. Like when I did An American Werewolf in London , we went from this naked man to a four-legged hound from Hell, and we had a lot of room to go from the transformation and do a lot of really extreme things. Here we have Benicio del Toro, who's practically the Wolf Man already, to Benicio del Toro with more hair and bigger teeth." [22]

Baker and del Toro were adamant about the design resembling the make-up created by Jack Pierce for the 1941 film, but Romanek went through thousands of concept art renderings. When Johnston signed on, Baker returned to his second design, which is the finished result. [23] The make-up took three hours to apply, and one hour to remove. New pieces of latex prosthetic makeup and loose hair was applied to del Toro's face each day, while several dentures and wigs were created in case some were damaged. [22] Baker said the transformation would likely be computer-generated, which disappointed him as he would not be involved and felt it would look unrealistic (as the animators did not have his knowledge of the design). [24] Director Joe Johnston explained that joining the film three weeks before photography placed limitations on his ability to film without using CG effects. He has stated, “I recognised that there were things that I was going to be able to do from the beginning to the end, and things that I had to rely on post-production for." In reference to filming Benicio del Toro's actual transformation into the Wolfman, Johnston further explained, "I decided to basically shoot just Benicio, in the sequence where he transforms and decide in post-production what I wanted the transformation to be. That was really my main reason [for using CG]; it gave me so much more flexibility." [25] In February 2009, ZBrush art of the transformation by Baker leaked online. [26] In addition to the film, at the 2009 Halloween Horror Nights , Universal Studios Florida added The Wolfman to the event. [27]

Music

Danny Elfman was reported to have written a dark, melodic, and moody score for The Wolfman, which was rejected by the studio after the film was cut down half an hour in length and the music became too "wall-to-wall", creating what Johnston called too much repetition. Due to his not being able to come back and re-score (because he was contractually obligated to work on Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland feature film), the producers decided that, rather than expand on his ideas with a new composer – a path that they would eventually take –, they would instead attempt a completely different approach with a different composer, which would include extensive re-shooting of scenes.

The idea was to quicken the pace and strike a similar tone to the successful Underworld film series, turning a slow-paced story into a much faster one. Paul Haslinger subsequently wrote an electronic contemporary incarnation of The Wolfman score, which the studio quickly realised was not appropriate for the late 19th-century Gothic setting. Elfman's previously recorded original score is, as a result, the one that is used in the final film. [28] Although Elfman's original recording was used in the final film, several additional composers (Conrad Pope, Edward Shearmur and Thomas Lindgren) were brought in to shape Elfman's score to fit the final cut of the film, as well as compose new material. [29]

Danny Elfman's version of The Wolfman score was officially released on 23 February, 11 days after the film's release. This is actually the original score Elfman made for the earlier cut of The Wolfman before it was temporarily rejected. Thus, the music in the final film was mostly different from the original work on the CD release, which reflected the first incarnation of the score. [30] A believed-to-be sample of Haslinger's rejected score was released around the same time, but was ultimately confirmed as false by record producer Ford A. Thaxton and Haslinger himself. [31]

Dark ambient musician Lustmord contributed "some sounds for the score". [32]

Release

Merchandising

Several companies were involved in the merchandising of the film. Rubies Costumes produced both child and adult costumes. Because such costumes are sold to retailers months in advance, the Halloween costumes came out in 2009 since the film being pushed back to 2010 happened after the costumes had been shipped to retailers. [33] Mezco Toyz produced 7 inch and 12 inch tall Wolfman action figures. [34] They also produced replicas of the medallion from the film. [35] In early January 2010, Mezco Toyz donated the prototypes of the toys to the Museum of the Moving Image in New York. [36] A novelization by Jonathan Maberry was released on February 2, 2010, to coincide with the DVD re-release of the 1941 film.

Theatrical

The film was delayed several times during production and was previously scheduled to be released on November 14, 2008, [37] February 13, 2009, [38] April 3, 2009, [38] and November 6, 2009. [39] [40] The film's first trailer was attached to Inglourious Basterds , released on August 21, 2009. The film was released on some European markets on February 10 and 11, 2010. [41]

Home media

The film was released on DVD and Blu-ray on June 1, 2010. Both editions include the theatrical cut and an extended cut, restoring 17 minutes into the film. [42] The Blu-ray Disc's special features include featurettes on the making of the film, including two alternate endings. The only special features included on the standard DVD are deleted and extended scenes. Best Buy released an exclusive 2-Disc DVD set that includes a bonus disc featuring most of the BD special features. Upon the Blu-ray's release, viewers had the opportunity to stream the original 1941 film.

In the United States and Canada, the DVD grossed $21.8 million and the Blu-ray grossed $5.9 million, totaling $27.8 million in domestic video sales. [2]

Extended cut

The DVD/Blu-ray releases include an "unrated director's cut", featuring an additional 17 minutes of footage and the inclusion of the classic 40's era Universal logo at the beginning of the film. [43] Johnston said the reason for deleting the 17 minutes from the theatrical cut was "to push the story along so that audiences would get to the first Wolfman transformation sooner." [44] The extra footage contains the origin of the silver cane-sword and also the uncredited and completely removed part played by Max von Sydow who was the original owner of the cane. The character indicates that he obtained it in Gévaudan, a French province where in the 18th century villagers were attacked by an unknown beast known as the Beast of Gévaudan. Though Max von Sydow's credit is absent from the theatrical cut, there is still a credit for "Assistant to Mr. von Sydow".

Reception

Box office

The film grossed $9.9 million on its first day, and $31.5 million in its opening weekend, coming in second at the box office after the film Valentine's Day . [45] The Wolfman grossed $62.2 million domestically and $80.5 million internationally, grossing $142.6 million worldwide. [2] In 2014, the Los Angeles Times added the film to their list of "costliest box office flops of all time". [46]

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 33% based on 221 reviews, with an average rating of 4.80/10. The site's critics consensus reads: "Suitably grand and special effects-laden, The Wolfman suffers from a suspense-deficient script and a surprising lack of genuine chills." [47] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 43 out of 100 based on 36 critic reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews". [48] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "C+" on an A+ to F scale. [49] [50]

Film critic Roger Ebert gave the film two and a half stars out of four, praising the atmospheric locations and melodramatic scope but lamenting CGI effects that he regarded as detrimental. [51] Peter Travers of Rolling Stone assigned the film one and a half stars out of four, concluding that "The Wolfman bites, but not — I think — in the way the filmmakers intended." [52] Owen Glieberman of Entertainment Weekly praised Del Toro's performance as Lawrence Talbot, comparing it favourably to Lon Chaney Jr.'s, in the 1941 film. [53]

Ronald Meyer, then-president of Universal Studios at the time of the film’s release, regarded the film as "crappy" and considered it to be "One of the worst movies we ever made." [54]

Awards

In 2010, The Wolfman won at the 37th Saturn Awards for best make-up. [55] In 2011, make-up effects creator Rick Baker and supervisor Dave Elsey, received an Academy Award for Best Makeup at the 83rd Academy Awards. [56]

Reboots

Universal's 2012 film Werewolf: The Beast Among Us was originally planned as a spin-off from the film but was ultimately unrelated. Universal announced that it would reboot their Universal Monsters properties as part of a shared cinematic universe, with Alex Kurtzman and Chris Morgan attached to develop the structure of the shared universe, to be known as the Dark Universe. [57] In November 2014, Universal hired Aaron Guzikowski to write the shared universe's reboot of The Wolf Man. [58] [59] In June 2016, Deadline reported that Dwayne Johnson may star as the character. [60] In October 2016, it was reported that David Callaham was brought on board to re-write the script. [61] The first film in the Dark Universe, however, 2017's The Mummy, flopped at the box office, ending plans for any more such films. In May 2020, following the success of The Invisible Man , it was confirmed that a new Wolf Man film had entered development at Universal with Ryan Gosling set to star in the titular role. [62] In October 2021, Deadline reported that Derek Cianfrance will direct the reboot. [63]

Related Research Articles

<i>Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein</i> 1948 American horror comedy film directed by Charles Barton

Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein is a 1948 American horror comedy film directed by Charles Barton. The film features Count Dracula who has become partners with Dr. Sandra Mornay, as Dracula requires a "simple, pliable" brain to reactivate Frankenstein's monster. Dracula discovers that the "ideal" brain belongs to Wilbur Grey who is wooed by Mornay to the operating table, despite the warnings of Lawrence Talbot.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Benicio del Toro</span> Puerto Rican actor

Benicio Monserrate Rafael del Toro Sánchez is a Puerto Rican actor and producer. He has garnered critical acclaim and numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe Award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards and a Silver Bear for his portrayal of the jaded but morally upright police officer Javier Rodriguez in the film Traffic (2000). Del Toro's performance as ex-con turned religious fanatic in despair Jack Jordan, in Alejandro González Iñárritu's 21 Grams (2003), earned him a second nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Romanek</span> American filmmaker (born 1959)

Mark Romanek is an American filmmaker whose directing work includes feature films, television, music videos and commercials. Romanek wrote and directed the 2002 film One Hour Photo and directed the 2010 film Never Let Me Go. His most notable music videos include "Hurt", "Closer", "Can't Stop", "Rain" (Madonna), "Bedtime Story" (Madonna), "Scream", "Criminal", and "Shake It Off". He also co-directed "Sandcastles" from Beyoncé’s Lemonade album. Romanek's music videos have won 20 MTV Video Music Awards, including Best Direction for Jay-Z's "99 Problems" and the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award. He has also won three Grammy Awards for Best Short Form Music Video – more than any other director.

<i>Hulk</i> (film) 2003 superhero film directed by Ang Lee

Hulk is a 2003 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Directed by Ang Lee and written by James Schamus, Michael France, and John Turman from a story by Schamus, it stars Eric Bana as Bruce Banner/Hulk, alongside Jennifer Connelly, Sam Elliott, Josh Lucas, and Nick Nolte. The film explores Bruce Banner's origins. After a lab accident involving gamma radiation, he transforms into a giant, green-skinned creature known as the "Hulk" whenever stressed or emotionally provoked. The United States military pursues him, and he clashes with his biological father, who has dark plans for his son.

<i>The Wolf Man</i> (1941 film) 1941 film by George Waggner

The Wolf Man is a 1941 American horror film written by Curt Siodmak and produced and directed by George Waggner. The film stars Lon Chaney Jr. in the title role. Claude Rains, Warren William, Ralph Bellamy, Patric Knowles, Bela Lugosi, Evelyn Ankers, and Maria Ouspenskaya star in supporting roles. The title character has had a great deal of influence on Hollywood's depictions of the legend of the werewolf. The film is the second Universal Pictures werewolf film, preceded six years earlier by the less commercially successful Werewolf of London (1935). This film is part of the Universal Monsters movies and is of great cinematic acclaim for its production.

<i>Monster Force</i> Television series

Monster Force is a 13-episode animated television series created in 1994 by Universal Cartoon Studios and Canadian studio Lacewood Productions. The story is set in approximately 2020 and centers on a group of teenagers who, with help of high tech weaponry, fight off against classic Universal Monsters and spiritual beings threatening humanity. Some of the crew have personal vendettas, while others fight for mankind out of a sense of altruism. The series aired in syndication alongside another Universal animated series, Exosquad. Universal Studios Home Entertainment released the first seven episodes to DVD on September 15, 2009.

<i>Che</i> (2008 film) Two-part 2008 film by Steven Soderbergh about Che Guevara

Che is a two-part 2008 biographical film about Argentine Marxist revolutionary Ernesto "Che" Guevara, directed by Steven Soderbergh. Rather than follow a standard chronological order, the films offer an oblique series of interspersed moments along the overall timeline. Part One is titled The Argentine and focuses on the Cuban Revolution from the landing of Fidel Castro, Guevara, and other revolutionaries in Cuba to their successful toppling of Fulgencio Batista's dictatorship two years later. Part Two is titled Guerrilla and focuses on Guevara's attempt to bring revolution to Bolivia and his demise. Both parts are shot in a cinéma vérité style, but each has different approaches to linear narrative, camerawork and the visual look. It stars Benicio del Toro as Guevara, with an ensemble cast that includes Demián Bichir, Rodrigo Santoro, Santiago Cabrera, Franka Potente, Julia Ormond, Vladimir Cruz, Marc-André Grondin, Lou Diamond Phillips, Joaquim de Almeida, Édgar Ramírez, Yul Vazquez, Unax Ugalde, Alfredo De Quesada, and Oscar Isaac.

A wolf man is a werewolf or lycanthrope.

<i>Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet the Wolfman</i> 2000 American film

Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet the Wolfman is a 2000 American animated horror musical dark comedy film produced by Bagdasarian Productions and Universal Cartoon Studios and based on characters from Alvin and the Chipmunks. It is the second Alvin and the Chipmunks direct-to-video film, and the second of three Universal Cartoon Studios productions to be animated overseas by Tama Productions in Tokyo, Japan. Featuring voices of Maurice LaMarche and Miriam Flynn.

<i>Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man</i> 1943 US horror film directed by Roy William Neill

Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man is a 1943 American horror film directed by Roy William Neill and starring Lon Chaney Jr. as the Wolf Man and Bela Lugosi as Frankenstein's monster. This was the first of a series of later called "monster rallies" combining characters from several film series. This film's script written by Curt Siodmak follows The Ghost of Frankenstein and The Wolf Man. The film involves Larry Talbot who is brought back to life. Seeking a way to return to his death to escape his werewolf curse, he meets with gypsy Maleva who advises him that the only way to stay dead is to confer with Dr. Frankenstein. The doctor is long dead but his equipment is in working condition, leading Talbot to seek the help of scientist Dr. Mannering and Frankenstein descendant Baroness Elsa Frankenstein. Talbot then attempts to have his life sucked from his body and transferred into Frankenstein's monster.

<i>House of Frankenstein</i> (film) 1944 film

House of Frankenstein is a 1944 American horror film starring Boris Karloff, Lon Chaney Jr. and John Carradine. The film was directed by Erle C. Kenton based on a story by Curt Siodmak, and produced by Universal Pictures. The film is about Dr. Gustav Niemann who escapes from prison and promises to create a new body for his assistant Daniel. The two murder Professor Lampini and take over his sideshow that involves the corpse of Count Dracula. After disposing of the Count, the two move on to the ruins of Castle Frankenstein where they find the body of Frankenstein's monster and Larry Talbot, the Wolf Man preserved in the castle. Niemann thaws them and promises to cure Talbot of his werewolf curse, but secretly plots to revive Frankenstein's monster instead.

<i>House of Dracula</i> 1945 film by Erle C. Kenton

House of Dracula is a 1945 American horror film released and distributed by Universal Pictures. Directed by Erle C. Kenton, the film features several Universal Horror properties meeting as they had done in the 1944 film House of Frankenstein. The film is set at the castle home of Dr. Franz Edelmann, who is visited first by Count Dracula and later by Larry Talbot, the Wolf Man, who are trying to cure their vampirism and lycanthropy, respectively. Talbot is eventually cured, which leads him to discover the body of Frankenstein's monster in a cave below the base of the castle. Edelemann takes the monster's body back to his laboratory but finds Count Dracula has awakened and by attacking his assistants, he captures Edelmann and forces a reverse blood transfusion, which gives Edelmann a split personality and makes him a killer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Johnston</span> American film director and effects artist (born 1950)

Joseph Eggleston Johnston II is an American film director, writer, and visual effects artist. He is best known for directing effects-driven films, including Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989), Jumanji (1995), and Jurassic Park III (2001), as well as The Rocketeer (1991), The Wolfman (2010), and Captain America: The First Avenger (2011).

David Christopher Self is an American screenwriter best known as the author of the screenplays for the films The Haunting, Road to Perdition, and The Wolfman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Larry Talbot</span> Universal Classic Monsters franchise character

Lawrence Stewart "Larry" Talbot, also known as The Wolf Man, is a title character of the 1941 Universal film The Wolf Man and its sequels, created by Curt Siodmak. He was portrayed by Lon Chaney Jr. In the 2010 remake of the film, he is portrayed by Benicio del Toro. The Wolf Man was part of the Universal Classic Monsters ensemble.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Universal Orlando's Horror Make-Up Show</span> Live show at Universal Studios Florida

Universal Orlando's Horror Make-Up Show is a live show located at Universal Studios Florida that opened on June 7, 1990, along with the theme park. It is a live demonstration of Universal Pictures' legacy of horror movies, with particular emphasis on prosthetic makeup. It was inspired by the former The Land of a Thousand Faces show (1975–1980) at Universal Studios Hollywood. It is also notable for being one of two original opening-day attractions still in operation at Universal Studios Florida, the other being E.T. Adventure.

<i>Sicario</i> (2015 film) Action thriller film directed by Denis Villeneuve

Sicario is a 2015 American action thriller film directed by Denis Villeneuve, written by Taylor Sheridan and starring Emily Blunt, Benicio del Toro, and Josh Brolin. The film follows a principled FBI agent who is enlisted by a government task force to bring down the leader of a powerful and brutal Mexican drug cartel. Sicario was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival. It began a limited release in the United States on September 18, 2015, followed by a nationwide release on October 2, 2015.

<i>The Shape of Water</i> 2017 film by Guillermo del Toro

The Shape of Water is a 2017 American romantic fantasy film directed by Guillermo del Toro and written by del Toro and Vanessa Taylor. It stars Sally Hawkins, Michael Shannon, Richard Jenkins, Doug Jones, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Octavia Spencer. Set in 1962 Baltimore, Maryland, the film follows a mute cleaner at a high-security government laboratory who falls in love with a captured humanoid amphibian creature, and decides to help him escape from death at the hands of an evil colonel. Filming took place on location in Ontario, Canada, from August to November 2016.

<i>Frankenstein</i> (Universal film series) American horror film series

Frankenstein is a film series of horror films from Universal Pictures based on the play version by Peggy Webling and the 1818 novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley. The series follow the story of a monster created by Henry Frankenstein who is made from body parts of corpses and brought back to life. The rest of the series generally follows the monsters continuously being revived and eventually focuses on a series of cross overs with other Universal horror film characters such as The Wolf Man. The series consists of the following films: Frankenstein (1931), Bride of Frankenstein (1935), Son of Frankenstein (1939), The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942), Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943), House of Frankenstein (1944), House of Dracula (1945) and Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948).

The Wolf Man is the title of several horror film series centered on Larry Talbot, a man who upon being bitten by a werewolf becomes one himself, and his subsequent attempts to cure himself of his murderous condition. The franchise was created by Curt Siodmak.

References

  1. 1 2 "The Wolfman". Box Office Mojo . IMDb . Retrieved February 11, 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 "The Wolfman (2010)". The Numbers . Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved February 11, 2022.
  3. ↑ Saucedo, Robert (June 23, 2010). "Bad Movies Done Right – The Wolfman". Inside Pulse. Archived from the original on August 23, 2017. Retrieved August 22, 2017.
  4. ↑ Buchanan, Jason. "The Wolfman - Movie Reviews and Movie Ratings". TV Guide. Archived from the original on August 23, 2017. Retrieved August 22, 2017.
  5. ↑ Salisbury, Mark (February 12, 2010). "Gene Simmons and David Lee Roth howled for 'Wolfman' sound effects". Hero Complex. Archived from the original on July 17, 2018. Retrieved August 22, 2017.
  6. ↑ "Old School Rockers Give Wolfman His Howl". DreadCentral.com. January 19, 2010. Archived from the original on December 7, 2010. Retrieved November 9, 2010.
  7. ↑ "A fan of the origine = Producer Talks Wolfman". Empire Online . 2008-03-21. Archived from the original on 2012-01-18. Retrieved 2008-03-21.
  8. ↑ "Del Toro bites into 'Wolf Man'". Variety . 2006-03-14. Archived from the original on 2008-08-14. Retrieved 2008-03-21.
  9. 1 2 Borys Kit (2007-02-08). "Romanek stalks Del Toro 'Wolfman'". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on 2007-02-10. Retrieved 2007-02-08.
  10. ↑ Rodrigo Perez. "Benicio Del Toro goes old school for 'Wolf Man,' declares no monster cameos". Archived from the original on 2019-07-13. Retrieved 2008-12-18.
  11. ↑ Chitwood, Adam (May 7, 2013). "Director Mark Romanek Talks One Hour Photo Blu-ray, His Vision for The Wolfman, Cinderella, His Desire to Work on a Larger Canvas, and More". Collider. Archived from the original on September 23, 2016. Retrieved September 21, 2016.
  12. 1 2 Michael Fleming (2008-01-29). "Romanek drops out of 'Wolf Man'". Variety . Archived from the original on 2008-01-30. Retrieved 2008-01-30.
  13. ↑ Borys Kit (2008-02-01). "Ratner among 'Wolf' men". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on 2013-01-26. Retrieved 2008-02-01.
  14. ↑ Michael Fleming (2008-02-04). "Johnston to direct 'Wolfman'". Variety . Archived from the original on 2009-08-05. Retrieved 2008-02-04.
  15. ↑ Diane Garrett (2008-02-21). "Hugo Weaving to pursue 'Wolfman'". Variety . Archived from the original on 2008-02-25. Retrieved 2008-02-22.
  16. ↑ "Film Production Detail". Variety . 2008-04-09. Archived from the original on 2008-08-14. Retrieved 2008-06-20.
  17. ↑ "Werewolf at door...". Sheffield Telegraph . 2008-03-07.
  18. ↑ "Film stars at Chatsworth". TheStar.co.uk. 2008-03-08. Archived from the original on 2008-08-14. Retrieved 2008-07-05.
  19. ↑ Scott McPherson (2008-04-10). "Film fans descend on Wolf Man's Lacock set". This is Wiltshire.
  20. ↑ Garth Franklin (2009-05-07). ""Wolfman" Reshoots Underway In UK". Dark Horizons. Archived from the original on 2009-05-11. Retrieved 2009-05-09.
  21. ↑ "Wolfman Reshoots Say 'Four Legs Good, Two Legs Bad'". Slash Film. Archived from the original on 2009-07-13.
  22. 1 2 Lindsay Soll (2008-03-19). "First Look: Benicio del Toro as the Wolfman". Entertainment Weekly . Archived from the original on 2008-03-20. Retrieved 2008-03-19.
  23. ↑ Ryan Rotten (2008-07-29). "SDCC '08: The Wolfman At Your Door". Shock Till You Drop. Archived from the original on 2008-07-30. Retrieved 2008-07-30.
  24. ↑ Larry Carroll (2008-07-27). "CGI Wolf Man? An Upset Rick Baker Shows His Teeth". MTV Movies Blog. Archived from the original on 2008-08-28. Retrieved 2008-07-27.
  25. ↑ 30 Ninjas Interview Wolfman Director Joe Johnston on Make-up VS CGI Archived February 24, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  26. ↑ "Want to See Some Wolfman Concept Art?!". Shock Till You Drop. 2009-02-26. Archived from the original on 2009-02-28. Retrieved 2009-02-26.
  27. ↑ "'The Wolfman' Joins Uni's Hollywood's Halloween Horror Nights". Bloody Disgusting. 2009-07-06. Archived from the original on 2009-07-09. Retrieved 2009-08-19.
  28. ↑ "Danny Elfman WILL Be Scoring The Wolfman After all". 16 July 2012. Archived from the original on 2012-10-17. Retrieved 2020-04-17.
  29. ↑ Fischer, Russ (January 20, 2010). "Danny Elfman's Score is Back in The Wolfman". Slash Film. Archived from the original on February 11, 2019. Retrieved February 10, 2019.
  30. ↑ "Danny Elfman's 'Wolfman' Score Brought Back Into Play". screenrant.com. 20 January 2010. Archived from the original on 2019-02-12. Retrieved 2019-02-11.
  31. ↑ "UPDATED: The Wolfman's Rejected Score Surfaces". August 2012. Archived from the original on 2013-10-19. Retrieved 2020-04-17.
  32. ↑ "LUSTMORD: The Wolfman". Lustmord Official Website. November 5, 2009. Archived from the original on March 2, 2016. Retrieved February 19, 2016.
  33. ↑ "Wolfman Movie Costumes | Wolfman Movie Halloween Costumes from CostumeZone.comŽ". Costumezone.com. Archived from the original on 2012-11-06. Retrieved 2012-11-07.
  34. ↑ "Toy Fair 2010: Mezco's Wolfman Collectibles Tear Things Up!". 30 July 2012. Archived from the original on 2014-09-03. Retrieved 2020-04-17.
  35. ↑ "Mezco Wolfman Action Figure". Archived from the original on January 26, 2010. Retrieved July 13, 2019.
  36. ↑ "Action Figure Insider – Best Toy News on the Web! Mezco Donates The Wolfman Figures to Museum of the Moving Image". Actionfigureinsider.com. 2010-01-15. Archived from the original on 2012-06-08. Retrieved 2012-11-07.
  37. ↑ Pamela McClintock; Marc Graser (2007-09-19). "'Monsters' makes room for 'Avatar'". Variety . Archived from the original on 2007-11-10. Retrieved 2007-10-05.
  38. 1 2 "Valkyrie Moved Back to 2009". ComingSoon.net. 2008-04-07. Retrieved 2008-04-07.
  39. ↑ Biodrowski, Steve. "The Wolfman howls on February 10, 2010" Archived August 6, 2017, at the Wayback Machine , Cinefantastique , January 13, 2009
  40. ↑ Pamela McClintock (2008-12-10). "'Wolfman,' 'Nottingham' delayed". Variety . Archived from the original on 2009-08-05. Retrieved 2008-12-10. (dead link 5 January 2010)
  41. ↑ "Wolfman" . Retrieved September 14, 2020.
  42. ↑ "'The Wolfman' Turns Blu June 1". Archived from the original on 2013-01-26.
  43. ↑ "Johnston Prepping Wolfman Extended Cut". Archived from the original on 2010-02-10. Retrieved 2010-02-15.
  44. ↑ "The Wolfman: Extended Cut". Screenrant.com. 2010-02-08. Archived from the original on 2012-09-15. Retrieved 2012-11-07.
  45. ↑ "Weekend Box Office (12-14 Feb 2010)". Archived from the original on 6 June 2011. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
  46. ↑ "The costliest box office flops of all time". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved February 14, 2021.
  47. ↑ "The Wolfman (2010)". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved September 14, 2020.
  48. ↑ "The Wolfman Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 2018-12-28. Retrieved 2019-08-15.
  49. ↑ Ben Fritz (15 February 2010). "'Valentine's Day,' 'Percy Jackson' and 'Wolfman': The more they cost, the less they made". LA Times Blogs - Company Town. audiences gave it an average grade of only C+
  50. ↑ "Home - Cinemascore". cinemascore.com. Archived from the original on 2018-01-02. Retrieved 2019-10-05.
  51. ↑ Roger Ebert (February 10, 2010). "Does she hath charms to soothe the savage breast?". Chicago Sun-Times . Archived from the original on 2010-02-14. Retrieved 2010-02-13.
  52. ↑ "The Wolfman:Review:Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2010-02-15. Retrieved 2010-02-13.
  53. ↑ Glieberman, Owen. "The Wolfman" Archived 2014-12-22 at the Wayback Machine , Entertainment Weekly , 16 February 2010.
  54. ↑ "The good, the bad and the Universal: what Ron Meyer really thinks of his studio's movies - in pictures". The Guardian . November 4, 2011. Archived from the original on July 15, 2014. Retrieved April 6, 2013.
  55. ↑ The 37th Annual Saturn Award winners Archived May 4, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  56. ↑ "Nominees for the 83rd Academy Awards". Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences . Archived from the original on 2012-09-04. Retrieved 2011-01-25.
  57. ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr. (July 16, 2014). "Universal Taps Alex Kurtzman, Chris Morgan To Relaunch Classic Movie Monster Franchises". Deadline. Archived from the original on November 22, 2019. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
  58. ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr. (November 12, 2014). "Will Justin Lin Rev 'Fast & Furious' Finale?". Deadline. Archived from the original on May 28, 2020. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
  59. ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr. (November 12, 2014). "Sony Confirms 'Dark Matter'; Universal Confirms Aaron Guzikowski To Write 'Wolfman'". Deadline. Archived from the original on September 25, 2019. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
  60. ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr. (June 22, 2016). "Dwayne Johnson Sets Jay Longino Graphic Novel 'Son Of Shaolin' At Sony". Deadline. Archived from the original on April 8, 2020. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
  61. ↑ Ford, Rebecca (October 13, 2016). "Universal Taps 'The Expendables' Writer to Pen 'The Wolf Man' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on January 8, 2020. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
  62. ↑ Couch, Alan (May 29, 2020). "'Wolfman' Movie in the Works with Ryan Gosling". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on May 30, 2020. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
  63. ↑ Kroll, Justin (October 26, 2021). "Ryan Gosling And Universal's 'Wolfman' Sets Derek Cianfrance As Director". Deadline Hollywood.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.