Universal Studios’ decision to release a clip showing the new Wolf Man’s transformation sequence has caused a bit of a panic among those who’ve been keeping up with director Leigh Whannell’s take on the classic monster. There’s reason behind it, though. For quite some time, fans have been trying to unsee early leaks of the alleged werewolf design from pictures taken at Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights event. Those who believed it to be the official design were left severely underwhelmed by its ‘old prospector monster’ vibes. While it reminded me more of the werewolf villagers from the Resident Evil 8 video game, in a good way, it was certainly a strange look that caused more confusion than anything.
Regardless, the transformation clip has been released ahead of its January 17th premiere date and it has brought up questions as to why it wasn’t kept under wraps until people saw the movie. One possible explanation is that the studio is sensing low interest brought upon that early leak, and that people aren’t entirely sure what kind of a werewolf movie Whannell cooked up. Showing the transformation might set people at ease once they see some of the more traditional aspects of the werewolf mythos were kept intact.
What’s frustrating about the Wolf Man situation is that Leigh Whannell has more than earned the benefit of the doubt given his impressive track record in horror. Whannell wrote the very first Saw movie, directed the exceptional sci-fi action movie Upgrade, and has already successfully tackled a classic Universal monster in the form of 2020’s The Invisible Man.
Both Upgrade and The Invisible Man stood out for inventive and kinetic camerawork and a willingness to experiment with tried-and-true concepts to develop new ideas. The Invisible Man, for instance, excelled at infusing each frame with a sense of impending violence that hung on the villain’s unique sense of presence. Whannell smartly chose not to over rely on wide shots that have previously been used to push audiences to let the eye wander and seek out potential corners or angles where the Invisible Man could be looking in from. Sometimes he would go for closeups that had just enough space for the villain to be standing in, ramping up the intensity beyond what we’ve come to expect.
With Upgrade, Whannell latched the camera onto punches, kicks, bone fractures, and shattered jaws. Each fight choreography was like a roller coaster of pain that brought the audience uncomfortably but gratifyingly close to the action. The Wolf Man trailers clearly show the movie carries some of that Upgrade DNA in it. It’s indicative of a special quality that can inspire confidence here: it looks like a Leigh Whannell movie. In a sea of films that often look and sound the same, having one directed by someone that stands out as a distinctive voice in the medium can be enough to trust in the production and reward it with a ticket purchase.
Where the werewolf’s transformation is concerned, almost every trailer has hinted that the main character will be slowly transitioning into a wolf. David Cronenberg’s The Fly remake comes to mind, in which the scientist at the center of the story sheds his humanity limb by limb throughout until he reaches his final form. I’d wager the same will happen here, and that the transformation clip that was released only covers one of the stages. It certainly doesn’t feel like the studio showed its hand in full. Maybe only enough to reassure fans of what they’re getting.
Leigh Whannell has proven to be one of the most compelling creators working today. I have high hopes for Wolf Man, and I believe everyone else should too. Judging by the trailers, it really looks like most of the movie’s secrets remain well hidden. We could be getting a very different kind of werewolf this time around, but the fact it’s coming from a director that is unafraid to experiment means it’ll be unlike anything we’ve seen before.