It takes a lot for a film to disappoint me, but a surefire wayis when a movie has a promising setup that doesn’t match its execution. The most recent case of this happening isWolf Man, theLeigh Whannell-directed remake of Universal’s classic horror film. The cast included talented names likeChristopher AbbottandJulia Garner, and Whannell had already proved that he could do a great update of a classic horror icon with 2020’sThe Invisible Man. But poor reviews combined withan abysmal box office grossis nothing to howl at the moon over. What makesWolf Man’s failure sting even more is thatit started out as something genuinely interesting— when it had a different star attached. None other thanRyan Goslingwould have become the titular Wolf Man, but a number of shakeups led to the version that eventually hit theaters. So, the question is, what was Gosling aiming for creatively with his version?
Ryan Gosling Could Have Starred in One of the Most Unique Werewolf Movies
Gosling was first announced tostar in a remake of1941’sThe Wolf Manin 2020, a few months afterThe Invisible Mandebuted to critical acclaim and box office success. Even more interesting, he was said to have pitched screenwritersLauren Schuker BlumandRebecca Angelo(Orange is the New Black)an original story that the duo fleshed out into a proper screenplay. Details are scarce on Blum and Angelo’s screenplay, butearly reportscompared it toNightcrawler,which would have been a genuinely fresh take on a werewolf story. A news reporter who either transforms into a werewolf or encounters a werewolf isn’t just a unique way to approach the idea of lycanthropy, but it could also touch on the evolution of journalism itself. Nowadays, some journalists will chase the biggest headlines they can find, or wait until they canpublish a tell-all book. How do you think someone would react to the news of an actual werewolf? Plus, ifNightcrawlerwas the touchstone, that would give Gosling full license to embrace aJake Gyllenhaallevel of unhinged.
‘Wolf Man’ Failed, but It Did Add One Great Thing to the Body Horror Subgenre
Metamorphosis has never felt so personal.
As if the premise of Gosling’s originalWolf Manmovie wasn’t intriguing enough, it could have reunited him with a top-notch director.Derek Cianfrancewas originally slated to directWolf Manand had previously worked with Gosling onThe Place Beyond the PinesandBlue Valentine.Both films are wholly different, but feature Gosling at his best;the former sees him as a motorcycle stuntman who turns to a life of crime, while the latter features him as a man dealing with the breakdown of his marriage. Gosling gives two incredibly vulnerable and tragic performances in Cianfrance’s films, which is a necessity for werewolf films as they follow a human transforming into a monstrous version of themselves against their will. Cianfrance also utilized a unique linear narrative for both films, handling three different periods of time inThe Place Beyond the Pineswhile jumping to the beginning and ending of a relationship inBlue Valentine. If he’d done the same forWolf Man, it could have been an interesting way to show the transitions from man to wolf and back.
Scheduling Conflicts Led to Leigh Whannell’s Version of ‘Wolf Man’
Even though Gosling and Cianfrance were attached toWolf Man, the film wasn’t officially greenlit until 2023 — and that was after the dual writers' and actors' strikes had come to an end. Eventually,Gosling and Cianfrance would departWolf Mandue to scheduling issues, as Gosling shotThe Fall Guywhile Cianfrance went on to prep the crime thrillerRoofman. Ironically, Whannell actuallywasthe first choice to directWolf Manbut had to drop out due to his own scheduling issues. Though Christopher Abbott would step in to play the lead role, Gosling was still attached as an executive producer and Cianfrance still holds credit for “additional literary material” for theWolf Manscreenplay. It turns out that screenplay might have been a touch more comedic than horror fans would have expected, according to aNew York Comic Con interviewwith Whannell last year:
“That was initially a concept that was in the running. You know, Ryan was developing this film with his production company. … Having talked to him, he’s such a fan ofHalloweenandMonsters, like he’s the biggest monster fan out there. So he was developing it possibly for him to act in. And I came on board and, you know, my advice was just, ‘Look, I don’t think we should try a comedic take on this. I think we should really go hardcore here. And that’s the Wolfman film people want to see. And that’s what they deserve, you know?’ And he agreed and he said, ‘Let’s go [with] this.'”
Whannell’s perspective makes sense; tragedy is baked into the very concept of the werewolf, so you’d expect a more dour and serious approach. However,some of the better werewolf movies have managed to balance that tragedy and comedy, especially the iconicAn American Werewolf in London. Who could forget David Kessler (David Naughton) being haunted by the decaying corpse of his friend Jack (Griffin Dunne)? Regardless, Whannell reworkedWolf Maninto its final form, but the end result could have desperately used some fine-tuning.
’Wolf Man’s Greatest Sin Is That It’s Far Too Predictable
Wolf Man’s troubles began during Universal Studios’ annual “Halloween Horror Nights” events last October, as the first look at the titular creature was released. It wasn’t great, to say the least: the final productlooks nothing like a werewolf shouldanddrew fairly scathing reactionsfrom horror movie fanatics. Matters weren’t helped when the official trailer declined to even feature Abbott’s transformation into the creature. WhenWolf Manfinally released, viewers could easily predict the film’s greatest plot twist: the werewolf who bites Abbot’s Blake Lovellis his estranged father Grady(Sam Jaeger). They also probably predicted that Blake’s wife Charlotte (Garner) would end up having to shoot her husband as his more feral nature took over. And that’s whyWolf Manis so disappointing — you can see what’s coming a mile away, and that predictability takes away from the deeper themes of overcoming generational trauma. Considering the craft that Whannell put intoThe Invisible Man, as well as five years of anticipation,Wolf Manwas an epic disappointment.
To further underline how underwhelming the final version ofWolf Manis, special effects artistMike Merinoposted a sculpture on Instagramhe created when working on the film. He confirmed he made it when Gosling was still attached as the lead.Not only is it terrifying, but it looks like a true werewolf:there’s plenty of fur, fangs, and a bloodthirsty expression on the Wolf Man’s face. This single sculpture offers a glimpse into what Ryan Gosling’sWolf Mancould have been, and it’s far more interesting than what we ended up getting.
