Summary

• Universal's Wolf Man reimagining promises tragic origin story for Christopher Abbott's Lawrence Talbot, emphasizing emotional depth and sympathy for the titular monster.
• Leigh Whannell's modern take on classic Universal Monsters like Invisible Man sets the tone for the Wolf Man reboot's faithful yet updated storytelling.
• The film's teaser at CinemaCon showcases the tragic family dynamic and the burden of the curse, hinting at a heartwrenching tale to come in 2025.

Universal Monsters The Wolf Man reimagining debuts its first footage from the film at CinemaCon, teasing a tragic origin for Christopher Abbott's take on the titular monster. Abbott will take on the role of Lawrence "Larry" Talbot, the poor soul who finds himself the recipient of the curse that turns him into a bloodthirsty killer at night. Wolf Man is directed by Leigh Whannell, co-creator of the Saw franchise who previously helmed the 2020 reboot of The Invisible Man, which added a modern twist to H.G. Wells' original tale and its 1933 adaptation.

While Wolf Man's filming kicked off in March, Blumhouse shared a glimpse at the movie at CinemaCon, teasing the origins of Abbott's take on the creature, and the tragedy at the center of the tale. Opening with footage of a forest at night, Abbot's family is under siege in their home. Abbott's daughter asks “Daddy, are we going to die?” to which he says no. His daughter responds, “That’s a lie. Everybody dies eventually.”. Declaring “It’s my job to protect you. I’m your daddy. All you want to do is keep the bad things outside,” Abbot is seemingly bitten while protecting his family, presumably ing on the titular curse that will alter his life.

Leigh Whannell's Wolf Man Promises To Be A Faithful Tragic Retelling Of The Original Movie

The Invisible Man Already Proved Whannell Knows How To Update This Kind Of Source Material

From the early CinemaCon footage, audiences can gather how the Wolf Man reimagining will approach its source material for a modern audience. In Whannell's reimagining of The Invisible Man, the titular character portrayed by Claude Raines was originally a tragic scientist who descends into a life of crime and menace due to the drug that rendered him invisible warping his mind. In Whannell's film, the titular character is the abusive Adrian Griffin (Oliver-Jackson Cohen) who stalks and gaslights his girlfriend Cecilia. While Whannell's take is closer to Well's outwardly villainous figure, his Wolf Man reimagining will instead seemingly emphasize its creature's tragic and sympathetic nature.

In the original 1941 movie, Lon Caney Jr.'s Talbot is a figure swept up in the curse of the werewolf and burdened with not only the knowledge that he is doomed to become a monster and kill each night but also must escape the growing suspicion of the villagers around him. While it has yet to be seen how Abbot's wolfman will affect his wider community, the early CinemaCon footage immediately emphasizes the tragedy by putting his loved ones at risk with his daughter. As such, Wolf Man will remain faithful to the tone of the original film.

Though Universal's attempt at creating a Dark Universe failed, Whannell's The Invisible Man and his Wolf Man reboot have shown how revisiting these classic creatures can work in a modern filmmaking landscape. By emphasizing individual tales over quickly establishing a shared universe, Whannell and other creatives have been able to create stories that keep viewers invested through their emotional stories. As such, Wolf Man's emotional teaser promises that the 2025 feature will be a heartwrenching tragedy upon its release.

Wolf Man will release on January 17, 2025.