Seminal Werewolf Movie ‘The Howling’ Officially Being Rebooted

by

A common criticism of today’s horror films is their over-reliance on computer-generated effects. While digital effects are cheaper and quicker to create, they often lack the impact of practical effects, making the movie feel less believable. Many fans consider the 1980s a golden age for horror because special effects had advanced enough to achieve a great balance between realism and disturbing imagery, resulting in numerous classic films that still set the standard for the genre.

The 1980s delivered a unique brand of horror. Directors like David Cronenberg shocked audiences with disturbing body horror in films like The Fly, Sam Raimi overwhelmed us with gore in The Evil Dead, and William Lustig truly terrified us with Maniac. But there’s something about ’80s horror that still resonates today. In 1981, Joe Dante’s The Howling raised the bar with its groundbreaking werewolf transformation – a feat that filmmakers continue to try and replicate.

Studiocanal revealed at CinemaCon that they’re working on a new version of the classic horror film, The Howling, according to IndieWire. They haven’t shared any specifics yet, including who will direct or whether it will be a direct remake or a modern update.

Following the first film, Howling II: Your Sister Is a Werewolf came out in theaters in 1985. The six movies that followed went straight to home video. Although it hasn’t been officially announced, Studiocanal appears to be planning a return to the big screen for the series, aiming for a full theatrical release.

1981 was a great year for werewolf movies, with both The Howling and An American Werewolf in London being released. Originally, Rick Baker was going to create the special effects for The Howling, but he switched to American Werewolf instead. Rob Bottin then took over the effects for The Howling, and Baker later won an Academy Award for his makeup work on An American Werewolf. Bottin also had a successful career, going on to create effects for iconic films like The Thing, Legend, and RoboCop, among many others.

This isn’t the first time someone has tried to bring the story back to life. Director Andy Muschietti, known for the film IT, was initially planning a new version back in 2020. Since then, he directed The Flash and revisited Stephen King’s world with the TV series IT: Welcome to Derry.

Studiocanal isn’t just bringing back The Howling for a new audience; they also announced at CinemaCon that they’re planning a reboot of John Carpenter’s Escape from New York.

Read More

2026-04-14 03:32