As a devoted fan of horror movies, I can confidently say that Leigh Whannell is swiftly becoming one of my favorite modern horror maestros. His journey from co-writing and starring in James Wan’s groundbreaking “Saw” to directing his own terrifying masterpieces such as “Wolf Man” leaves me positively howling with anticipation for each new release.
Prior to the closure of theaters due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Leigh Whannell’s “The Invisible Man” had an impressive debut, receiving rave reviews and a substantial box office success. This was particularly noteworthy because contemporary adaptations of Universal Monsters films have generally fallen short more often than they’ve succeeded. Even Francis Ford Coppola’s “Bram Stoker’s Dracula” failed to gain critical acclaim upon its release. Remarkably, “The Invisible Man” earned $70 million domestically in just three weeks, a figure ten times its budget. This was a significant achievement for horror filmmaker Whannell, who began his career by co-writing and starring in James Wan’s “Saw” in 2004. Given this success, it’s no surprise that Whannell has chosen to explore the world of Universal Monsters once more with a potential “Wolf Man” project.
After his initial works, Whannell’s contributions have been nothing short of remarkable, demonstrating his expertise in the eerie genre comparable to Wan. Following the first two Saw sequels and the initial Insidious installments, he stepped into direction with the underestimated Insidious: Chapter 3. However, it was his second directorial effort, Upgrade, that highlighted Whannell’s true prowess in genre cinema. Although not strictly a horror film, it had strong action elements infused with chilling undertones. Essentially, it could be seen as a technology-centric body horror movie.
What Inspired 2025’s Wolf Man?
Speaking about the main themes in the upcoming werewolf movie, Whannell mentioned in a recent featurette: “Given the last few years of global turmoil, it’s only natural that ideas like isolation, fear, and anxiety found their way into the script.” These elements are crucial for horror stories, and as the trailer for Wolf Man shows, the small cast is stranded in a secluded farmhouse. Add to this a husband undergoing a gruesome transformation, and the tension for his family becomes almost unbearable.
Regarding the cinematic influences behind the film, Whannell views it as a homage to the iconic ’80s horror movies he and many others were raised on. This is evident in the film’s remote setting and transformation theme. He specifically cites John Carpenter’s groundbreaking “The Thing” and David Cronenberg’s “The Fly.” Much like those two masterpieces, his aim was to create something horrifying and visceral. He believes that a horror film can delve deep into one’s subconscious, and he thinks they successfully achieved this with this movie.
These words offer great comfort for those who had concerns that the movie might not be good due to the monster’s first appearance at Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights 2024. Whannell swiftly alleviated these concerns with his comment about the design being more of a “mess” and comparing it to judging Freddy Krueger’s makeup based on a costume from Spirit Halloween. Regardless, we won’t know until a month later if Whannell has crafted another modern horror masterpiece like The Invisible Man.
Wolf Man hits theaters on January 17th.
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2024-12-16 05:09