Universal Pictures' ambitious Dark Universe, though seemingly doomed before it even embarked on its journey, left its central premise vibrantly alive: to breathe new life into the studio's iconic stable of monsters, catapulting them into the 21st century with a thunderous roar (ALIIIVE!). In 2020, Saw co-creator Leigh Whannell masterfully reinvented The Invisible Man as a poignant allegory for the chilling tactics of gaslighting, featuring Elisabeth Moss, resulting in a horror masterpiece that etched itself into recent cinematic history. Now, with his highly anticipated Wolf Man, the Australian auteur is set to reimagine Universal's 1941 classic creature feature as a harrowing tale of toxic masculinity and the crumbling foundations of family, starring Christopher Abbott, Julia Garner, and fresh face Matilda Firth.
With each successive trailer, the intricate tapestry of Whannell's Wolf Man has unfolded with increasing clarity and intensity. The initial teaser painted a vivid picture of the movie's secluded Oregonian backdrop, hinting that the awakening of the beast within Abbott's Blake could symbolize a transformation as profound as it is literal. The subsequent trailer delved deeper into the metamorphosis and the ominous threat Blake poses to his wife Charlotte (Garner) and daughter Ginger (Firth) after his lycanthropic encounter amidst the woods. Now, this latest glimpse into the film showcases the "unadulterated, raw horror" that Whannell described to Empire earlier this year, with scenes of bloodshed, bones snapping, distorted limbs, and a series of sleek, rapid camera movements revealing Abbott's beast, adding an urgent pulse to the film's chilling premise: "What if someone you cherished turned into something unrecognizable?"
Here, once again, is the official synopsis that captures the essence of the narrative: "Christopher Abbott stars as Blake, a husband and father from San Francisco who inherits his childhood home in rural Oregon after his father mysteriously disappears and is presumed dead. With his marriage to his high-achieving wife Charlotte (Garner) on the brink of collapse, Blake convinces her to take a break from the city and visit the property with their young daughter, Ginger (Matilda Firth). But as the family ventures to the farmhouse in the dead of night, they are attacked by an unseen creature. In a desperate bid for survival, they barricade themselves inside the home while the beast circles outside. However, as the night wears on, Blake begins to exhibit bizarre behavior, transforming into something monstrous and unrecognizable. Charlotte must grapple with a harrowing decision: is the terror within their home more deadly than the peril that lurks outside?"
We eagerly await the moment when Abbott embraces his beastly alter ego – and whether Whannell's latest offering from Universal Pictures will be a triumphant roar or a mere yelp of disappointment – as Wolf Man arrives in UK and Irish cinemas on January 17.
