From The Invisible Man to Wolf Man, Leigh Whannell thinks it’s time for the Universal Monsters to make a long overdue comeback. The Australian filmmaker, best known for co-creating the Saw and Insidious franchises with creative partner James Wan, first made a name for himself as a director with Insidious: Chapter 3 and the sci-fi action flick Upgrade. Now, he can be seen as Universal’s go-to guy for revamping their catalog of classic monsters. The Invisible Man was a huge critical success, but its theatrical release in 2020 was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Nonetheless, it was a pivotal moment for Whannell as both a writer and director, leading to the unforeseen terrors in Wolf Man.
In conjunction with Universal and Blumhouse debuting the first full-length trailer for Wolf Man at this year’s New York Comic-Con, DiscussingFilm sat down with writer-director Leigh Whannell for an exclusive interview! Details about this new interpretation of the timeless Wolfman story have been sparse… until now. We follow Blake, played by Christopher Abbott (Poor Things, It Comes at Night), a San Francisco husband and father who inherits his remote childhood home in rural Oregon after his own dad is presumed dead. To get away from the busy city, and possibly fix his withering marriage, Blake takes his high-powered wife Charlotte (Emmy-winner Julia Garner) and young daughter Ginger (newcomer Matlida Firth) to visit the property. What could go wrong?
How The Invisible Man Led Into Wolf Man
Wolf Man (2025) is all about isolation. Our small family of three travels to the remote wilderness hoping to find a nice getaway but instead comes into contact with something sinister. The trio is attacked by an unseen animal and barricade themselves in the farmhouse out of desperation. While the mysterious creature prowls the perimeter outside, evil also starts to manifest from inside the home. As an infected Blake slowly transforms into something unrecognizable, Charlotte must decide whether he is still the husband she loves or a savage beast. Moreover, for the safety of her young child, Charlotte must make a survival plan to escape the threats that are now both outside and inside the house.
This theme of isolation is no coincidence, as Leigh Whannell reveals that his first draft of Wolf Man was written in 2020. This was shortly after the release of The Invisible Man and at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Of course, making a movie tighter in scope and with a smaller cast is right up Blumhouse’s alley, with many of their small horror film productions making their budgets back tenfold at the box office. However, as Whannell explains, isolation is what actually birthed the film’s concept…
Leigh Whannell: “I remember the first distinct image I had for The Invisible Man, which was of a woman being dragged around a kitchen floor by nothing. There was an unseen force. That was the first thing that popped into my head, and I sort of built the film around that. For Wolf Man, for some reason, the image of this remote, mountainous region was in my head. The first draft was written in 2020 during the COVID lockdown, and I remember I would walk my dog every night and it was like 28 Days Later. The streets were just so empty and quiet. A very specific vibe crept in, and I wanted to reflect that isolation in the script.”
Creating a Unique Type of Werewolf Infection
The pandemic inspirations are taken one step further with the design of the main werewolf itself. Practical effects were an absolute must for this interpretation of the titular monster; “I didn’t want to break that tradition that goes all the way back to Lon Chaney,” states Whannell. But there have been plenty of great versions of the Wolfman across cinema history. In his own words, “You can’t compete with [Makeup VFX Legend] Rick Baker, and you can’t compete with [Legendary Makeup Artist] Jack Pierce, either.” Thus, the solution was to aim for a look that had never been attempted before.
“Rather than trying to outdo or build upon what has already been done in the past, I tried to do something singular, where people could say, ‘Oh, I’ve never seen that version before,'” the director says. When writing the screenplay during lockdown, it only made sense for this version of the Wolfman to look sickly and more diseased, as if it were a werewolf virus rather than a curse. Working closely with makeup artist Arjen Tuiten (Maleficent, Pan’s Labyrinth), Whannell wanted to create a unique design that would leave people speechless. While taking such a bold route could obviously lead to some initial mixed reactions, this filmmaker insists that it’s done with good reason and a narrative purpose…
Leigh Whannell: “We’ve all seen a man transform into a beast under the moonlight. It’s a shared image of our collective cultural consciousness. To me, the horrors of Wolf Man lie in the infection. In modernizing the werewolf, I didn’t want to make it about a curse or anything mystical. In our post-pandemic world, the proximity to people in our own homes who can be ill with a dangerous sickness is what was most interesting to me. So, I don’t want people to walk in expecting the usual or a complete homage. You can take all these classic monsters and wrap them around different concepts to modernize them. In this way, Wolf Man has much more of an infection angle.”
Putting a Modernized Spin on the Universal Monsters
The overwhelming reception of The Invisible Man is what invigorated Whannell to tackle another Universal Monster. The Invisible Man was praised for introducing a clever, grounded take on the character while balancing heavy themes of abuse and trauma. This was shown through the perspective of Cecilia Kass (Elisabeth Moss), a woman who was trapped in an extremely abusive and controlling relationship with wealthy tech CEO Adrian Griffin (Oliver Jackson-Cohen). Whannell used the original “mad scientist” element of 1933’s The Invisible Man to frame the narrative of a rich abuser who uses the technological ability to turn invisible to stalk his ex-girlfriend. Ultimately, this made for a plot that today’s audiences could find more fear in.
It remains to be seen if 2025’s Wolf Man will borrow any elements or pay any kind of direct tribute to 1941’s The Wolf Man. However, like 2020’s The Invisible Man, fans can expect a cunning modernization of the lore and history around werewolves. As Whannell expressed his deep desire to bring the iconic Universal Monsters back into the spotlight, his vision for this Wolf Man adaptation became crystal clear…
Leigh Whannell: “I’m approaching Wolf Man from the angle of not feeling extreme pressure but turning it into something fun, which is just to make the version of this character you would want to see. Because if you want to see it, then there are more people who would also want to see it. It seemed to work with The Invisible Man. Many horror fans said, ‘This is the Invisible Man movie we wanted.’ So, I’m taking another swing.”
Leigh Whannell’s Wolf Man is an “Audiovisual Assault”
While Leigh Whannell certainly wants to deliver a horror movie that will live up to fans’ expectations, that doesn’t necessarily mean that he’s playing it safe with Wolf Man. In fact, he wants people to start preparing for a totally fresh adaptation, one that might even catch you off guard. Furthermore, the production team put precise effort into making Wolf Man a bonafide theatrical experience. This should be no surprise, as The Invisible Man has immaculate sound design and killer visuals, too. Although, when it comes to Wolf Man, Whannell describes it as an “audiovisual assault.” If you still have any doubts about seeing Wolf Man in theaters next January, then the next quote should secure your ticket…
Leigh Whannell: “Don’t come in expecting the usual. Expect something different and distinctive. I think audiences are ready for a new take on this enduring character. Hopefully, they will also have a great night out at the movies. They’ll be scared. They’ll be emotionally affected. We have gone absolutely crazy with the sound of this film — it’s an audiovisual assault. I know people say this all the time, but this movie was designed for movie theaters because of the audio-visual experience. With Wolf Man, we have used every tool in the systematic arsenal to make it a true cinematic experience.”
The days of Universal’s Dark Universe are long behind us. We are now entering a new era for the beloved Universal Monsters, with filmmaker Leigh Whannell leading the charge. More than just another monster movie, Wolf Man is looking to be one of the most idiosyncratic genre efforts of 2025.
Wolf Man hits theaters on January 17, 2025!
Release Date: January 17, 2025.
Directed by Leigh Whannell.
Written by Leigh Whannell & Corbett Tuck.
Based on The Wolf Man by Curt Siodmak.
Produced by Jason Blum & Ryan Gosling.
Executive Producers: Leigh Whannell, Beatriz Sequeira, Mel Turner, & Ken Kao.
Main Cast: Christopher Abbott, Julia Garner, Matilda Firth, Sam Jaeger, Benedict Hardie, Ben Prendergast, Zac Chandler, Beatriz Romilly, & Milo Cawthorne.
Cinematographer: Stefan Duscio.
Production Companies: Blumhouse & Waypoint Entertainment.
Distributor: Universal Pictures.
Rated R.
