Shared universes are all the rage right now in the world of blockbuster movies, and Universal is gearing up to contribute with their universe of classic monsters. The franchise officially kicks off with the Tom Cruise-led remake of The Mummy, and one of the other creatures that will inhabit this world is the Wolf Man. There hasn't been a lot of news regarding that movie's development recently, but now it's picking up steam thanks to a new writer being recruited.
According to THR, Dave Callaham has been hired to re-write The Wolf Man script, succeeding Prisoners' Aaron Guzikowski. Callaham's previous writing credits include Doom, Horsemen, The Expendables and the upcoming Zombieland sequel, so he obviously has plenty of experience writing action. He also created the Amazon show Jean-Claude Van Johnson, which was recently picked up to series. No plot tidbits were provided about this new Wolf Man remake, but at the very minimum, moviegoers can expect to see a story featuring a person who turns into a ravenous, wolf humanoid creature whenever there's a full moon.
There have been two Wolf Man movies released over nearly 80 years. (There was a silent movie released in 1924 called The Wolf Man, but the title is the only thing it shares in common with the others.) The 1941 version starred Lon Chaney Jr. as the Wolf Man, a role he would reprise for four sequels. Then in 2010, the first remake was released, with Benicio del Toro playing the monster. Directed by Joe Johnston, this re-telling received mixed reviews and only pulled in close to $140 million worldwide, not even making back its budget. Judging by the THR article, it sounds like this new version will have more in common with the 1941 movie, although considering that 2017's The Mummy will be set in the present day, it's possible that The Wolf Man will also be a contemporary tale.
As mentioned earlier, Wolf Man will be just one of the many players in Universal's shared monster universe, which being overseen by producers Alex Kurtzman and Chris Morgan. Some of the other "creatures" that will eventually appear include The Invisible Man (played by Johnny Depp), Frankenstein (played by Javier Bardem), the Bride of Frankenstein, Dracula and the Creature from the Black Lagoon. Right now, only solo movies are on the slate, but certain notable characters will pop in movies led by other monsters. For instance, along with The Mummy starring Sofia Boutella as the eponymous, reawakened ancient queen, Russell Crowe will appear as Dr. Henry Jekyll, who we know will eventually become the evil Mr. Hyde.
We'll keep you apprised of all the developments surround the newest Wolf Man remake as more news comes in, including who Universal hires to direct the flick and who will play the hairy beast.
