Wolf Man’s Director Talks Creature Leak, Gosling and First Trailer

After seeing the first trailer for Leigh Whannell’s Wolf Man, I had many questions. Is the entire film set in a single location? Is it linked with the director’s earlier Common Monster film, Invisible Man? And did he deliberately pay homage to Jurassic Park with that first sequence?

Fortunately, Whannell hopped on a video name with io9 earlier this week to talk about all that and more. The co-creator of Noticed and Insidious additionally defined how not simply covid, but additionally the cruel, painful realities of life influenced his tackle this character. He cleared up questions surrounding the leak from Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights that seemingly revealed his completed creature earlier than any footage was launched. And we additionally talked about how the movie modified after star Ryan Gosling dropped out and Christopher Abbott joined the solid in his place.

Should you haven’t already seen the trailer for the January 17 launch, watch it under, then learn our in-depth Q&A with Whannell.

Germain Lussier, io9: Wolf Man, werewolves, they’ve such a wealthy historical past throughout all media. What was the scariest factor about tackling the character within the franchise?

Leigh Whannell: In all probability that. The idea is so recognized, as you mentioned. Whenever you’re coping with one thing that’s embedded in worldwide tradition you’re arising towards a number of expectations. Should you’re writing an unique film, you’ve bought an uphill climb to get individuals to concentrate. However the good aspect of that’s no person is aware of the principles. The issue with Wolf Man is all people is aware of the principles. And when you’re going to bend them or break a few of them or transfer left of heart, then you need to be ready for some backlash from some corners. However I actually was decided to provide individuals one thing new with this. In order that was in all probability the scariest half.

io9: The trailer appears prefer it’s very remoted, secluded, and perhaps even a one-location film. I suppose we’ll see. However is that true? And was {that a} manner in your movie to tell apart itself from the others?

Whannell: Undoubtedly. I feel I wished to include it just a little extra. I wished to cope with this idea in a really intimate manner. You realize, we filmed throughout covid. The primary draft of this movie was written in 2020. And that was a really particular mindset, as you bear in mind. Prefer it’s humorous now, trying again on it, I used to be simply speaking to somebody the opposite day about 2020. What a bizarre blip in human historical past.

io9: Completely.

Whannell: It’s bizarre what it does to the mind once you don’t depart the home for months on finish. And it’s not even like my circumstances had been unhealthy. Some individuals actually had been struggling. I used to be at residence each day, however I used to be in a position to feed my children and go on with life. However even then, the insanity, the cabin fever that units in, I feel that actually contaminated this script. And although I might not name this a covid film in any manner, I might say that the script displays the mindset of that point. The isolation, the confinement to 1 place.

io9: Okay. That’s cool. The trailer hints at it, however clearly you talked about stuff you anticipate from a Wolf Man—you anticipate an epic form of transformation. It looks as if perhaps it’s just a little drawn out right here. So I’m wondering when you may inform us or tease just a little bit about your tackle the Wolf Man transformation within the film.

Whannell: Properly, all of it comes from that need to do one thing individuals hadn’t seen earlier than. I really feel like once you’re coping with a personality that’s very well-trodden, you need to supply up one thing completely different. And generally I feel individuals don’t know what they need till they see it. I imply, even pondering of one thing like Heath Ledger in The Darkish Knight. That’s an iconic character. Chris Nolan’s coming into this film. There’s so many various methods you may go along with the Joker, proper? As we’ve seen. I really feel like he made a acutely aware determination to provide individuals a Joker they’d not seen earlier than. And it labored. And in order that was my pondering going into this was “What do I do?” And I felt like you may’t compete with Rick Baker and what he did on American Werewolf in London.

io9: Proper.

Whannell: So what if I took extra of a illness method? And approached it extra like one thing like The Fly?

io9: Which the trailer very briefly teases although we don’t get to see the complete Wolf Man. Nonetheless, one thing that got here out of Halloween Horror Nights a couple of weeks back seemed like it was. Was that your Wolf Man? And what are you able to say about how that each one went down?

Whannell: No, I imply, with out spoiling something, that’s not our Wolf Man. And I suppose, films have so many various individuals concerned. It’s like this large octopus with many tentacles and you’ll’t all the time management each single side of one thing. So generally one thing would possibly get on the market that doesn’t symbolize what you’re doing and it simply falls by the cracks. So no, it doesn’t symbolize [our movie]. I feel I might say Arjen Tuiten, who was our prosthetics designer and make-up artist on this film, he’s an excellent artist. I might put my cash on him that he’s all the time going to provide you one thing proper.

io9: And I feel you in all probability have the identical repute by this level too.

Whannell: Properly, yeah. And so it’s not enjoyable if one thing will get on the market that perhaps misrepresents the movie, particularly within the web age when issues can unfold round shortly. However all you are able to do is say, “Properly, let’s look forward to individuals to see the film after which [they’ll] make up their minds,” as a result of I’m actually assured in what Arjen and I did with the film.

io9: I can’t wait. Now that is the query you’re going to be requested a billion occasions, however I’m right here early so I’m going to get on it. You made Invisible Man. You made Wolf Man. That is secluded so I don’t suppose we’re going to see any crossover, however in your thoughts, do they happen in the identical universe?

Whannell: I might say, in a acutely aware manner, I didn’t need that to occur. Nonetheless, the household is in San Francisco. And I do consider this movie as like a religious cousin to Invisible Man in some methods. However I might say it doesn’t happen within the literal identical universe—nevertheless it very a lot takes place in the identical vibe. To me, it seems like a religious cousin and that’s my method to those monster films, a extra grounded method like I did with Invisible Man.

io9: Okay glorious. Now, Chris Abbott is superior. I’ve liked him for years and it’s so cool to see him as a title character right here. However he clearly wasn’t the primary Wolf Man. It was Ryan Gosling. How did the film change as soon as Ryan left and Chris got here on?

Whannell: Yeah, Ryan’s manufacturing firm was concerned to start with and he was taking a look at it as one thing to behave in. After which after all, schedules change and the years go by. I’m actually joyful he stayed on as a producer, however I’m actually so pleased with what Chris did. I’ve recognized his work for years and I’ve all the time been a fan of his. However when it occurred to me that he may play this function, I used to be obsessive about that concept. I imply, as a film fan, if I wasn’t concerned with this film, I might be excited to see Chris Abbott play a job like this.

io9: Oh yeah.

Whannell: There’s sure actors you realize they’re going to provide you one thing completely different.

io9: Sure, and I feel Julia Garner is a kind of individuals. She’s bought a yr arising subsequent yr and watching the trailer, once more, it’s known as Wolf Man. However she appears to be the lead character. Am I getting the correct vibes after I watch that right here?

Whannell: I might say it’s genuinely equal. I feel once you see the film, you’ll see what I imply. Prefer it’s a household unit. And I really feel like all of them have an enormous piece on this so I wouldn’t tip it somehow.

io9: I additionally liked the form of chilly open of the trailer, the truck within the tree. Gotta ask, had been the Jurassic Park vibes intentional? 

Whannell: Properly, I do love that sequence in The Misplaced World when Julianne Moore is trapped in that kind of truck that’s hanging off the cliff. Yeah, perhaps. I imply, I really like Jurassic Park. It had such an enormous impact on me. And I feel what occurs with films like that’s they go into your unconscious. And even when you’re not consciously writing it, you’re making an attempt to create one thing that evokes that very same sense of concern that I felt watching Jurassic Park within the theater. So it’s in there on a unconscious degree for certain.

io9: You won’t wish to reply this and that’s okay if not. However I really like the final shot of the trailer. About when does that occur within the film, when you can say?

Whannell: I don’t wish to give it away. However that’s not the climax of the film, I’ll say that.

io9: Okay. So we’ve got a daughter and a spouse being hunted by the daddy. Are daddy points a theme on this film?

Whannell: For me, I wouldn’t say it’s daddy points. I feel it’s about household. One of many stunning issues about being with household is that this intense love you may have in your youngsters, in your partner, when you’re fortunate. Not all people will get that. However what’s tragic about it’s you realize you’re going to lose these individuals. You realize, I’ve been desirous about my dad and mom loads currently as a result of they’re getting older and this sense of mortality creeps in. Everyone is aware of that the deal is, the discount is you’re not going to be with everybody ceaselessly. That day’s going to return. You get a cellphone name and it’s like, “It’s your sister or it’s your uncle” and so they say, “I’m actually sorry to let you know, your dad simply handed” or no matter. And everyone knows that day is coming. We strive not to consider it as a result of it might be miserable to stroll round all day and suppose, “Oh, someday I’m going to lose my spouse, my father, my mom.” We keep away from that dialog. However it’s coming. And what I do after I write horror movies is, I take into consideration the questions that nobody talks about. This unstated factor. And so I wished to make a film not about daddy points however about the concept we solely have a brief period of time with individuals. Ultimately, we’re going to lose them.

I’ve needed to watch mates of mine die. Anyone misplaced their companion early. A extremely good pal of mine, his spouse was recognized with a critical terminal sickness. And over the course of the subsequent two years, she disintegrated. And it was a really arduous factor to observe. And it’s the real-life model of the horror film. My pal really described it to me someday as “It’s like a horror film.” There’s the enjoyable half once you get married or no matter then there’s the half the place you’re cleansing somebody up on the bathroom. The Michael Haneke movie Amour was a really critical… I did a movie competition throughout pre-production. Each Wednesday evening we might watch a film. It was known as the Full Moon Movie Membership.

io9: Good.

Whannell: And Amour was one of many films we watched. So that’s what I used to be making an attempt to get at with this film is that concept, versus like, “I hate my father as a result of he beat me up.”

io9: Properly, that’s an unimaginable reply. It makes me wish to see it that rather more and I’m certain I’ll speak to you in a few months.

Whannell: I can’t wait so that you can see it when it comes out.

Wolf Man hits theaters January 17, 2025.

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