At New York Comic Con on Friday, Leigh Whannell spoke about his latest film, Wolf Man, marking his second time working with Universal’s classic monsters after the pre-COVID release of Invisible Man.
“These classic monsters are durable, you can make them contemporary,” Whannell explained, referring to how these timeless characters can be reimagined for modern audiences.
The official trailer for Wolf Man debuted today, following the teaser that was released a month ago. The film is set to open on January 17, distributed by Universal.
The new clip offers a chilling look into the horror, with one particularly unsettling scene showing someone being violently flung sideways in a U-Haul truck in the middle of a forest.
Similar to Invisible Man, Wolf Man includes deeper societal commentary. This time, Whannell explores the sinister actions of abusive husbands, and how evil can manifest in domestic life.
The setting of a quiet countryside at night, far from offering peace, only heightens the sense of dread.
Discussing the film’s lead actor, Christopher Abbott, Whannell noted that Abbott didn’t adopt a method acting approach. “He turns it on and off,” Whannell said, playfully adding, “I was trying to get him to take it more seriously.”
To help the cast bond, Whannell came up with some unique team-building activities. One of the more memorable was discovering an escape room themed around werewolves. “Nothing brings out someone’s true personality like an escape room!” he said of the experience.
Whannell also initiated “the full moon film club” during production, where he and his crew watched classic genre films like The Thing, The Fly, and An American Werewolf in London.
This, he explained, helped create a sense of camaraderie among the cast and crew while also reigniting their passion for the art of theatrical horror.
Jason Blum, founder of Blumhouse, also took the stage to discuss his production company’s upcoming slate, which has expanded since merging with James Wan’s Atomic Monster.
Blumhouse’s projects for next year include Wolf Man, Woman in the Yard, Black Phone II, and Five Nights at Freddy’s 2.
Meanwhile, Atomic Monster has several titles in the works, including Monkey, Mortal Kombat 2, The Conjuring 4, and The Bondsman, an Apple TV+ series starring Kevin Bacon. In total, Blumhouse and Atomic Monster have ten projects set to release next year, Blum revealed.
