Another of Universal’s classic monsters, Wolf Man, has been remade, and the long-gestating project finally came to fruition in 2025. Ever since the failed Dark Universe, Universal has adopted a different plan to resurrect their classic monsters, which include characters such as Dracula, The Mummy, The Wolf Man, Frankenstein, and The Invisible Man. The studio decided to shift focus onto standalone stories over interconnectivity and shared cinematic universes, which has been difficult to achieve in the horror genre.
After the success of 2020’s The Invisible Man proved that standalone horror films still worked for the monsters, Universal quickly green-lit a remake of The Wolf Man, but the project stalled. Various production delays kept the hirsute nightstalker away from the big screen, and the high-profile departure of star Ryan Gosling was seemingly the silver bullet that would end the project for good. Fortunately, Blumhouse and Universal trudged ahead on the remake of The Wolf Man, and the lycanthrope returned in early 2025.
Related
Why Isn’t Ryan Gosling Starring In The Wolf Man Movie Anymore? (& What He’s In Next)
While Ryan Gosling was originally set to star in the rebooted version of The Wolf Man, he has since exited and is now focusing on other projects.
Wolf Man Box Office & Critical Reception
Middling Reviews & Box Office Disappointment
While this doesn’t necessarily spell doom for the movie, Wolf Man‘s reported budget of $25 million means it will need to make around $50 to break even after marketing and advertising costs.
Wolf Man premiered on January 17, 2025.
Wolf Man Cast
Who Stars In The Reboot?
The cast of Wolf Man is relatively small, though a few big names were attached after Ryan Gosling departed the project. First, it was announced that Christopher Abbott (Sanctuary) would be stepping in to play the title character, Blake. Additionally, Ozark star Julia Garner joined the cast of Wolf Man as Charlotte, Blake’s workaholic wife who must protect her child from her husband’s lycanthropic changes. Matilda Firth plays Blake and Charlotte’s daughter, Ginger.
Ryan Gosling was originally cast to lead the film but has since left the production.
The cast of Wolf Man includes:
|
Actor |
Wolf Man Role |
|
|---|---|---|
|
Christopher Abbott |
Blake |
|
|
Julia Garner |
Charlotte |
|
|
Matilda Firth |
Ginger |
|
|
Sam Jaeger |
Grady |
|
|
Ben Prendergast |
The Werewolf |
|
|
Benedict Hardie |
Derek |
|
Wolf Man Trailers
Watch The Terrifying Trailers Below
In anticipation of the movie’s 2025 premiere, Universal has dropped a brief teaser for Wolf Man. Opening with bugs fighting in the lush woods of Oregon, the teaser then introduces the family as they visit the remote cabin. Things immediately turn dark as Blake begins to suffer from a dangerous transformation. While trying to keep her deteriorating family unit together, Charlotte must protect her daughter from the violent creature that her husband is becoming.
During 2024’s New York Comic Con in October, a full trailer for Wolf Man was revealed. The nearly three-minute trailer opens with a frightening scene as Blake and his family are attacked by something after crashing their large moving van. Hiding from the beast in a nearby abandoned farmhouse, Charlotte must protect her daughter from Blake as he slowly begins to transform into the werewolf. Unlike previous werewolf movies, Wolf Man seems to be recontextualizing the story as a body horror tale.
Wolf Man Ending & Spoilers
A Tragic Conclusion Shuts The Door On Franchise Hopes
While monsters always find a way to return somehow, it’s unlikely that Whannel’s lycanthrope will be howling at the moon in the future.
The ending of 2025’s Wolf Man is a bitter climax to the movie’s central themes, and it also pretty much shuts the door on any hopes of a sequel. Like The Invisible Man, the purpose of Wolf Man is to explore an idea outside the basic horror concept of the film, and Wolf Man‘s ending is appropriately grim. Nothing is left unsolved, and even the movie’s ongoing mystery is wrapped up nicely. While monsters always find a way to return somehow, it’s unlikely that Whannel’s lycanthrope will be howling at the moon in the future.
Wolf Man, released on January 15, 2025, follows Blake and his wife Charlotte as they visit his secluded childhood home in rural Oregon. After a mysterious animal attack, they become trapped inside, and Charlotte is forced to confront Blake’s disturbing transformation amidst growing tension and fear.
- Director
-
Leigh Whannell
- Release Date
-
January 15, 2025
- Studio(s)
-
Blumhouse Productions
- Distributor(s)
-
Universal Pictures
- Writers
-
Leigh Whannell
, Rebecca Angelo - Cast
-
Christopher Abbott
, Julia Garner
, Matilda Firth
, Sam Jaeger
, Ben Prendergast
, Benedict Hardie
, Beatriz Romilly
, Milo Cawthorne - Runtime
-
103 minutes
- Character(s)
-
Blake
, Charlotte
, Ginger
, Uncredited - Producers
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Beatriz Sequeira
, Jason Blum
, Ryan Gosling
, Ken Kao