Universal's Wolfman Horror Movie Reboot Casts Ryan Gosling In Lead Role

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Universal is officially moving forward with their Wolfman reboot for their new monster universe, with Ryan Gosling starring as the title character.

• Universal is officially moving forward with their Wolfman reboot for their new monster universe, with Ryan Gosling starring as the title character. The studio previously tried to launch a cinematic Dark Universe with The Mummy, starring Tom Cruise and Sofia Boutella, but the film did not do well with critics or at the box office. Deciding to focus instead on each singular film, Universal took a risk with Leigh Whannell's The Invisible Man, starring Elisabeth Moss and Oliver Jackson-Cohen.The director and writer was previously known for his 2018 sci-fi horror hit, Upgrade.
  Following Whannell's lead, there are a handful of other unique projects based on classic monster stories currently in development. Along with Wolfman, there's Elizabeth Banks' The Invisible Woman, a movie focused on Dracula's henchman Renfield to be directed by Rocketman's Dexter Fletcher, and Paul Feig's Dark Army film. Each project is an original take on the well-known stories, and there will be no efforts to directly connect any of the films with the others, despite their similar themes and source material.
  
  
  
  According to Variety, Universal is pushing for Wolfman to be their next film based on a classic monster. The movie's script is written by Lauren Schuker Blum and Rebecca Angelo (both wrote for Orange Is the New Black), based on an original pitch from Gosling. The story is rumored to maintain the supernatural elements of the source material but be set in the present time, and be similar in tone to the Jake Gyllenhaal-led film Nightcrawler. There was early consideration for Gosling to direct as well as star, but that has since been dismissed. Universal is closing in on a director and expected to announce someone soon. Cory Finley, director of Bad Education and Thoroughbreds, is said to be in the running.
  
  
  
  
  The Invisible Man was co-produced with Blumhouse Productions, who have been churning out many horror hits over the past few years, like Whannell's Upgrade, Happy Death Day, and the Academy Award-winning Get Out. The 2020 film made at least 14 times its budget, proving that a successful monster universe can be built by allowing each film to be smart, subversive, and original. The film's success also led to Whannell signing a movie and TV deal with Blumhouse, and an Upgrade sequel TV series is in development.
  Gosling has worked on very few genre films aside from Blade Runner 2049, so this is an interesting move for him as an actor. He is most known for his starring roles in films like Drive and The Notebook, as well as his continuing partnership with Damien Chazelle. Gosling starred in two of the director's films back-to-back, La La Land and First Man, the former of which earned him a Golden Globe and his second Academy Award nomination. Gosling is expected to star in an astronaut movie directed by Lord and Miller (The Lego Movie) next, as it's further along in development. Hopefully, Wolfman will be ready to begin production shortly after.
  
  
  Source: Variety

 

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Wolfman Reboot Starring Ryan Gosling Lands Invisible Man Director




Universal's latest monster movie reboot, Wolfman, has found its director in Invisible Man's Leigh Whannell. Ryan Gosling is attached to star.

Universal's Wolfman reboot starring Ryan Gosling has found its director in The Invisible Man's Leigh Whannell. News of Gosling joining Wolfman in the title role broke in May. At the time, reports said the film was based on an original idea from Gosling himself, with the script being written by Lauren Shuker Blum and Rebecca Angelo. A reboot of the classic 1941 film starring Lon Chaney Jr., this Wolfman is said to maintain the supernatural elements of the original, but will also be set in the present day. No further casting aside from Gosling has been announced.

Back in 2017, Universal attempted to create a shared universe built around their stable of classic horror monsters. The first installment, The Mummy starring Tom Cruise, disappointed at the box office and received poor reviews. This forced the studio to shift directions, instead moving to smaller-budgeted efforts with unique stories. The Invisible Man became a major hit earlier this year thanks to its creative premise (a woman finds herself haunted by her abusive ex-husband after he turns himself invisible) and Elisabeth Moss' incredible lead performance.




Universal is now charging ahead with its next monster reboot, with Deadline reporting the studio has put Wolfman on the fast track for production. Whannell is in negotiations to direct, and Jason Blum has joined the project as a producer with Gosling. This means much of The Invisible Man's creative team has joined Wolfman, indicating just how pleased Universal is with the horror film's performance.



It's also noted that Whannell is writing the treatment for Wolfman, which is both based on his original idea and inspired by the 1941 film. Shuker Blum and Angelo are still attached to write the script, and it isn't clear if Whannell's idea will be merged with Gosling's original pitch. Regardless, Universal is clearly excited to produce the next film in their Classic Movie Monsters initiative.

With Whannell now attached as a director, it can be assumed that development on Wolfman will start picking up. Once the script is complete, the rest of the cast beyond Gosling will be fleshed out. It'll be interesting to see how this reboot offers a fresh spin on the iconic character; if it comes out anything like The Invisible Man, it'll be another win for Universal. The studio also has a few other monster-related projects in the works, like Elizabeth Banks' The Invisible Woman and Paul Feig's Dark Army, thus ensuring audiences will have plenty of thrills in their future.





Source: Deadline