Wolf Man’s Gory Practical Effects Get Detailed Look In New Video From Leigh Whannell’s Upcoming Horror Movie

Wolf Man‘s gory practical effects get a detailed look in a new video from Leigh Whannell’s upcoming horror movie. Co-written and directed by Whannell – also known for Saw, Insidious, and 2020’s The Invisible Man – the upcoming horror movie is a reboot of the classic 1941 film, following a family man who moves into his inherited childhood home and is attacked by a werewolf during a full moon, leading to his terrifying transformation that endangers his wife and daughter. Wolf Man‘s cast includes Christopher Abbott in the titular role alongside Julia Garner, Matilda Firth, and more.

Now, shared by Universal Pictures, a new behind-the-scenes video provides a detailed look at the gory practical effects in the upcoming Wolf Man. The video features co-writer–director Leigh Whannell and special make-up effects designer Arjen Tuiten explaining why practical effects were the right choice for the film, along with its stars Julia Garner and Matilda Firth’s first reactions to seeing Christopher Abbott in full make-up. Check out the video below:

What Wolf Man’s Gory Practical Effects Mean For The Movie

Leigh Whannell Took A Different Approach

In the new behind-the-scenes video, co-writer and director Leigh Whannell discusses his “very different” visual approach to the Wolf Man reboot. Instead of trying to top Jack Pierce, Stan Winston, and Rick Baker’s make-up for past iterations, Whannell decided to take his reboot in a completely different direction, inspired by the body horror of John Carpenter’s The Thing and David Cronenberg’s The Fly. The result was, as makeup artist Arjen Tuiten puts it, one of the scariest things he’s ever seen.

Based on the partial looks seen in the BTS video and the Wolf Man trailer, Christopher Abbott’s titular monster doesn’t seem to have the same hairy appearance as Lon Chaney Jr.’s portrayal in the original 1941 film, with a renewed emphasis on creating a more realistic look through practical effects. The trailer has already teased a more monstrous transformation, showing Abbott’s character gradually becoming more animalistic. Given the success of Leigh Whannell’s The Invisible Man, his changes to Wolf Man should also reinvent the classic Universal Monster in a new and interesting way.

Our Take On Wolf Man’s Practical Effects

Why They’re So Effective

Wolf Man‘s use of practical effects is very different from the original 1941 film, which relied on much simpler, albeit groundbreaking techniques for its time. Leigh Whannell’s reboot embraces modern craftsmanship, creating a more visceral and terrifying transformation with tangible effects. Practical effects often evoke more authentic audience reactions than CGI by providing a physical presence on set, as seen in Julia Garner and Matilda Firth’s first reactions to seeing Christopher Abbott in make-up, grounding its primary performances and enhancing the overall realism of Wolf Man.

Source: Universal Pictures

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Wolfman is a reboot of the classic Universal Monsters movie The Wolfman. Christopher Abbott stars in the lead role and is helmed by The Invisible Man director Leigh Whannell. The film follows the same premise as the original and the 2010 reboot, focusing on a man who becomes a werewolf after falling victim to an ancient curse.

Release Date

January 17, 2025

Cast

Christopher Abbott
, Julia Garner
, Matilda Firth
, Sam Jaeger
, Benedict Hardie

Director

Leigh Whannell

Writers

Leigh Whannell
, Corbett Tuck
, Lauren Schuker Blum
, Rebecca Angelo

Studio(s)

Blumhouse Productions

Distributor(s)

Universal Pictures

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