Just one day after the tickets for Wolf Man went on sale, Universal Pictures released a new clip revealing the design of the titular monster, seemingly spoiling a big reveal intended for theaters. Directed by Leigh Whannell, Wolf Man reimagines the classic 1941 Universal Monster movie The Wolf Man. Christopher Abbott, Julia Garner, and Matilda Firth star in the new horror film whose marketing emphasizes body horror and teases a very different take on the werewolf mythology.
Universal released a new video, via Bloody Disgusting, of the transformation scene in Wolf Man, showing the creature. In the video, Abbott’s character transforms into the Wolf Man in a particularly brutal scene. The transformation emphasizes the horror of a human body shifting and taking on wolf-like characteristics, including claws emerging from the fingernails and increased body hair. Yet, notably, the hair does not fully cover the body or face like the iconic Jack Pierce design from the 1941 film. See the video below, which includes SPOILERS.
The footage certainly aligns with what Whannell has revealed about his take on the Universal monster, citing David Cronenberg’s The Fly as a major source of inspiration. He has spoken in the past about wanting to do a very different design for the Wolf Man, not one moviegoers would expect or adhere to the original design of the 1941 film, which the 2010 remake also followed. Whannell is also prepared for audiences to not be fully onboard with his drastic redesign. He has already mentioned he is ready for some audiences to hate his Wolf Man’s look because they want a “more traditional wolf design.”
Can ‘Wolf Man’ Recover from a Bad First Reveal?
The decision to reveal the design of the Wolf Man feels like Universal Pictures is trying to combat negative press around the film following the creature’s design being revealed at Universal’s 2024 Halloween Horror Night in Orlando, Flordia. The design was widely criticized, with many commenting that it not only didn’t resemble the iconic Universal Monster but also didn’t seem to have any features that signified it as a wolf. Shortly after the leak, Universal Pictures released the first teaser for Wolf Man to shift the conversation around the movie. Notably, both the teaser and the trailer withheld the Wolf Man’s design.
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Wolf Man Director Blasts Halloween Horror Nights’ Use of the Film
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It appears that the original plan to market Wolf Man was to keep the creature’s design a secret and a way to draw in audiences. They would have to see the film if they wanted to see what the titular character looked like. Universal Pictures’ subsidiary Focus Features found great success in doing this with Nosferatu, as the redesign for Count Orlock was purposely hidden from the film’s marketing and was a surprise for many when they saw the film. Had the design for Wolf Man not leaked and been so roundly criticized, they likely would have kept the reveal of what the creature looks like under wraps, but now they find themselves needing to win back audiences who the drastic new look might have put off. Ultimately, what matters is if the film is any good, and based on early word of mouth, Whannell delivered a terrifying take on one of the cinema’s most underutilized movie monsters.
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Release Date
January 17, 2025
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