This from the Animation Flash newsletter...

ONE HOUR PHOTO HELMER TO PUT WOLF MAN INTO FOCUS.
ONE HOUR PHOTO helmer Mark Romanek has been tapped to direct Universal's re-imagining of the horror classic, THE WOLF MAN, according to THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. Benicio Del Toro is set to star, as well as produce along with Scott Stuber, Mary Parent and Rick Yorn.
SEVEN scribe Andrew Kevin Walker has adapted the screenplay, which will follow the plot of the 1941 original. Lawrence Talbot returns to his ancestral home in Victorian-era Great Britain and is bitten by a werewolf.
The film is set to start production in the fall.


Oh please, oh please, don't CG him into a super-SUPER-natural gravity-defying beastie...

Oh please, oh please, don't CG him into a super-SUPER-natural gravity-defying beastie...

Don't worry............................
They will. :(

Sounds like a pretty high-end effort. They may show some restraint. The modern just-because-we-can Little Red Riding Hood version has been done to death at this point. It was impressive the first couple of times out when it was all animitronics, air bladders, and camera tricks. Now it's just an irritating abuse of perfectly good pixels. Hopefully the title will dictate: The Wolf Man.

Interesting that it says Talbot returns to his ancestral home in Victorian-era Great Britian - a period piece?

I know when it comes British nobility, the first actor I think of is Benicio Del Toro.

Wasn't this information posted here sometime last year? Has there been new movement on the project?

I dunno. I'm going to keep an open mind about it, as I rather like Benicio Del Torro. Plus, moving the plot back 50 years or so doesn't bug me at all. I like "gaslight" type stories. :)

I like Benicio Del Toro, too. It just seems an odd choice for this part. But then again, so was Lon Chaney.

I personally think THE WOLF MAN is one of the weaker of the Universal Monster films, so I'm not worried about this destroying a classic, especially with the behind the camera talent. I don't think we have to worry about it being another VAN HELSING.

Benicio Del Toro is set to star

Well, it'll be an ugly beastie based on what they have to work with... :tongue:

As contemporary genre filmmakers go Mark Romanek is a pretty smart guy. Then again, so is Ang Lee.

This is a tough one to call. I like Del Toro for the role, and I also consider it a good sign that the action is set in the Victorian era. That said, I have zero faith in this studio when it comes to reviving their classic monster legacy.

I may be able to score a script; if and when that happens I'll post a brief spoiler-free review.

There is only one Wolf Man to me, Lon Chaney Jr. Nuff Said!

I can kind of see Del Toro doing a Lon Cheney-esque Wolfman role. I can even see where Del Toro might bring something really interesting to a werewolf movie.

'course, I thought the same thing about Jack Nicholson and Christina Ricci.

One of the things that appealed to me in the original Wolf Man was the fact that it was a contemporary setting, as were other successful Lycanthropic-based movies like American Werewolf or the Howling. The contrast between modern man and the darker side of a mystical past - "This couldn't be happening, it's the 21st Century!" type of thing.
My favorite period pieces are ones that relate to science that hasn't been discovered yet - Give me a movie about an uncharted island populated with dinosaurs set in the 1930s and I'm along for the ride. Set it in the 2000s and I'll check Google Earth to see if its there.
One of the most shocking and successful Victorian-era horror films, IMHO, was Fredrick March's "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde".

Just please....NOT another dozen verses of "Even a man whose pure in heart..."

Okay then, how 'bout, "The way you walked was thorny, through no fault of your own. But as the rain enters the soil, the river enters the sea, so tears run to a predestined end." :dude:

... or

I saw a werewolf with a Chinese menu in his hand
Walking through the streets of Soho in the rain
He was looking for the place called Lee Ho Fook's
Going to get a big dish of beef chow mein
Werewolves of London
Werewolves of Los Angeles

If you hear him howling around your kitchen door
Better not let him in
Little old lady got mutilated late last night
Brian DePalma again
Werewolves of London
Here comes that dangerous man

He's the hairy handed gent
Who ran amuck in Kent
Lately he's been overheard in Mayfair
Better stay away from him
He'll rip your lungs out, Jim
And he's looking for James Taylor
Werewolves of London

I saw a werewolf trying to buy a used car at Del Mar
It was a bloody red coupe de ville
He said he was adrivin' it to Mexico
Going down to Tijuana
Gonna kill somebody in a film or something

Well, I saw Lon Chaney walking with the Queen
Doing the werewolves of London
I saw Lon Chaney, Jr. walking with the Queen
Doing the werewolves of London
I saw Jackson Browne "Walking Slow" down the avenue
You know his heart is perfect
I saw a werewolf drinking a Perrier at Trader Vic's
And his hair was perfect
Werewolves of London again
Draw blood

Both Underworld and Vanhelsing had werewolves walking on walls. Where did this come from? Wolves don't walk on walls. Humans don't walk on walls. And it defies gravity! What were they smoking?

Both Underworld and Vanhelsing had werewolves walking on walls. Where did this come from? Wolves don't walk on walls. Humans don't walk on walls. And it defies gravity! What were they smoking?

I'm gonna go out on a limb here and speculate... they were probably trying to emphasize that it was no ordinary man or wolf but a Supernatural creature.

- GJS

... or

I saw a werewolf with a Chinese menu in his hand
Walking through the streets of Soho in the rain
He was looking for the place called Lee Ho Fook's
Going to get a big dish of beef chow mein
Werewolves of London
Werewolves of Los Angeles

If you hear him howling around your kitchen door
Better not let him in
Little old lady got mutilated late last night
Brian DePalma again
Werewolves of London
Here comes that dangerous man

He's the hairy handed gent
Who ran amuck in Kent
Lately he's been overheard in Mayfair
Better stay away from him
He'll rip your lungs out, Jim
And he's looking for James Taylor
Werewolves of London

I saw a werewolf trying to buy a used car at Del Mar
It was a bloody red coupe de ville
He said he was adrivin' it to Mexico
Going down to Tijuana
Gonna kill somebody in a film or something

Well, I saw Lon Chaney walking with the Queen
Doing the werewolves of London
I saw Lon Chaney, Jr. walking with the Queen
Doing the werewolves of London
I saw Jackson Browne "Walking Slow" down the avenue
You know his heart is perfect
I saw a werewolf drinking a Perrier at Trader Vic's
And his hair was perfect
Werewolves of London again
Draw blood

Ahhhh, the classics. *hums tune*

Both Underworld and Vanhelsing had werewolves walking on walls. Where did this come from? Wolves don't walk on walls. Humans don't walk on walls. And it defies gravity! What were they smoking?Yeah, well, those films were both big steaming piles of werewolf s**t, especially Van Helsing; I wouldn't consider either of them to be an authority on the subject.

Yeah, well, those films were both big steaming piles of werewolf s**t, especially Van Helsing; I wouldn't consider either of them to be an authority on the subject.

But, did you like them? :D

I refused to see Van Helsing in the theater, instead waiting to rent it - right decision, it was terrible. I tried watching it a few months ago, thinking that maybe I was too harsh in my judgement. I wasn't. It still stunk.

FWIW, I liked "The Howling", especially the very Berni Wrightsonesque werewolves...

Yeah, well, those films were both big steaming piles of werewolf s**t, especially Van Helsing; I wouldn't consider either of them to be an authority on the subject.But, did you like them? :D

I refused to see Van Helsing in the theater, instead waiting to rent it - right decision, it was terrible. I tried watching it a few months ago, thinking that maybe I was too harsh in my judgement. I wasn't. It still stunk.Although I originally saw Van Helsing in a theater, I did something similar. More than a year had passed since I had seen it, and I'd only seen it that one time, so when I saw the DVD in the discount bin at Wally World for $5 I thought I'd give it another try. Couldn't get through 30 minutes without turning it off; gave the DVD to a friend who liked it.

ONE HOUR PHOTO helmer Mark Romanek has been tapped to direct Universal's re-imagining of the horror classic, THE WOLF MAN, according to THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. Benicio Del Toro is set to star


Okay, I give up. What's the "ONE HOUR PHOTO" connection?

Del Toro? Couldn't they at least have found an actor with the name, Del Lobo? :confused:

ONE HOUR PHOTO helmer Mark Romanek has been tapped to direct Universal's re-imagining of the horror classic, THE WOLF MAN, according to THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. Benicio Del Toro is set to star.Okay, I give up. What's the "ONE HOUR PHOTO" connection?There isn't one, really. They're simply saying that Mark Romanek, who directed One Hour Photo, will direct The Wolf Man.

Del Toro? Couldn't they at least have found an actor with the name, Del Lobo? :confused:Ooooh, you've discovered their secret. The film's real title is The Bull Man. :p

Both Underworld and Vanhelsing had werewolves walking on walls. Where did this come from? Wolves don't walk on walls. Humans don't walk on walls. And it defies gravity! What were they smoking?
As I recall, werewolves didn't walk on walls in either flick. Did they climb up gothicesque structures? Most definitely. As someone was pointing out, Werewolves are supernatural creatures, not human nor wolf. Unless I missed something...?

Well, either you missed it or I halucinated. In Underworld they ran sideways on the walls when the girl was in the hallway and shot out the floor to escape. In vanhelsing the brother climbed the wall like spiderman.

actually werewolves mythological creatues. But in any movie, you have to have some established capabilities. James Bond can't fly, Superman can't turn invisible, and Wonder Woman doesn't have laser beam eyes.

The werewolves in "Cursed" were climbing the ceiling.

There isn't one, really. They're simply saying that Mark Romanek, who directed One Hour Photo, will direct The Wolf Man.


Ohhhh! One Hour Photo was a movie! Now I understand! :thumbsup:

Well, either you missed it or I halucinated.
Possibly a little of both. :)
In Underworld they ran sideways on the walls when the girl was in the hallway and shot out the floor to escape. In vanhelsing the brother climbed the wall like spiderman.
Yes, I now remember the Werewolves crawling along the walls sideways and upside down in Underworld. I always figured the Werewolf in VanHelsing to be using his claws and strength to grasp various outcroppings to climb about. I don't recall him once crawling sideways across any walls or ceiling.
actually werewolves mythological creatues.
I'd argue they're also very well established as being supernatural in nature, but have a basis in myth. Sort of like Vampires being mythological supernatural in their origins. And, of course, depending on where you are, the different supernatural critters have different abilities, such as how Vampires from Eastern Europe differ from those of Asia, etc....
But in any movie, you have to have some established capabilities. James Bond can't fly, Superman can't turn invisible, and Wonder Woman doesn't have laser beam eyes.
Again, some critters from the mythology of different regions do different things. Don't let yourself get muddled down in stories you've heard concerning European legend or what we've seen in the Hammer Films where the likes of Vampires or Werewolves are concerned. After all, Superman didn't have laserbeam eyes when he started out in the '40's, did he...? ;)

Ohhhh! One Hour Photo was a movie! Now I understand! :thumbsup:
One Hour Photo (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0265459/) isn't a bad movie at that, Lee. You should watch it sometime. Doubly so if you're a Robin Williams fan.

actually werewolves mythological creatues. But in any movie, you have to have some established capabilities. James Bond can't fly, Superman can't turn invisible, and Wonder Woman doesn't have laser beam eyes.I agree, but many filmmakers don't. Werewolves (or lycanthropes, if you prefer), vampires, the Frankenstein monster, etc., are mythological creatures whose histories and workings are constantly being re-written by filmmakers simply to suit the needs of the stories they want to tell.

... After all, Superman didn't have laserbeam eyes when he started out in the '40's, did he...? ;)Originally, Superman couldn't even fly! He could just leap really far. But after the first few stories, Siegel and Shuster realized that the idea of Supes jumping about like an oversized grasshopper was pretty silly, and the way he was being drawn in a "leaping" pose looked kind of like he was flying anyway, so . . . well, the rest is history.I saw a werewolf with a Chinese menu in his hand
Walking through the streets of Soho in the rain
He was looking for the place called Lee Ho Fook's
Going to get a big dish of beef chow mein
Werewolves of London
Werewolves of Los Angeles

(etc.)Please excuse my ignorance once again, but whose song is that? Good lyrics.

Much of what we know about vampires and werewolves was invented by the movies. Sunlight wasn't fatal to vampires until NOSFERATU. Lycanthropy wasn't transmitted by a werewolf bite until WEREWOLF OF LONDON.

Please excuse my ignorance once again, but whose song is that? Good lyrics.

That is the late, great, Warren Zevon.

One Hour Photo (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0265459/) isn't a bad movie at that, Lee. You should watch it sometime. Doubly so if you're a Robin Williams fan.

Don't remember hearing about it but it does sound like a good one.

I don't see what's so special about making sets of photos of complete strangers for yourself when you work at one of those places, though. I used to do that all the time.

After a while, it was as if I had this family for my own. I got to see their faces on a daily basis and, heck, after a while, I even started talking to them. I was constantly having to scold the children for making noise while I was trying to sleep.

I got into an argument with the Mrs. after I commented on her wrinkles. She blamed me for lying on top of her in bed and creasing the Kodak paper she was printed on. I told her, "THAT'S WHAT FACIAL CREAM IS FOR!"

Well, as you can imagine, it went downhill from there. I finally had enough and carved her up pretty badly with a switchblade. I disposed of her body in the paper shredder. :freak:

That is the late, great, Warren Zevon.

Correct. And those are slightly modified lyrics from Zevon's outstanding live album Stand in The Fire (1980). He had a pretty major radio hit with the studio version in 1978.

A HORRIFYING CRY OF A WOLF!

FREDDY (making a joke) Werewolf.

IGOR There.

FREDDY I beg your pardon?

IGOR (pointing to the woods) There wolf!
(pointing up the road) There castle!

FREDDY Why are you talking like that?

IGOR I thought you wanted to.

Blücher!

Whinny! Whinny!

Dr. Frederick Frankenstein: For the experiment to be a success, all of the body parts must be enlarged.
Inga: His veins, his feet, his hands, his organs vould all have to be increased in size.
Dr. Frederick Frankenstein: Exactly.
Inga: He vould have an enormous schwanzstücker.
Dr. Frederick Frankenstein: That goes without saying.
Inga: Voof.
Igor: He's gonna be very popular...