As a lifelong cinephile with a soft spot for werewolf movies and an even softer spot for the underdog, I must say that Neil Marshall’s struggle to bring “Dog Soldiers 2” to life has left me feeling like one of his characters – trapped in the Scottish Highlands, howling at the moon, and waiting for a break in the clouds.
In the ’80s, werewolf movies ruled the roost, with classics like “An American Werewolf in London,” “The Howling,” and even “Teen Wolf” setting the stage. However, by the 2000s, the genre seemed to have lost its bite. That is until Neil Marshall, a director who would soon make waves, unleashed his first feature film, “Dog Soldiers.” Set amidst the rugged beauty of the Scottish Highlands, this film follows a band of soldiers as they battle against a ruthless pack of werewolves. This ultraviolent masterpiece uses practical effects to give us one of the most original interpretations of the mythical creature ever seen. Today, it’s a cult favorite, but sadly, a sequel that fans have been eagerly waiting for seems to be stalled. Yesterday, Neil Marshall himself shared some disheartening news about its development on social media.
On his Instagram post (shown here), Marshall shared that Dog Soldiers 2 is unfortunately not happening. Despite his efforts over the past six years to make it work and reach an agreement for the sequel, David E. Allen, the U.S. rights holder, suddenly stopped communicating just as everything was about to be finalized. Marshall explained that Allen simply “ended all contact.” Unfortunately, Marshall has no idea what caused this or why it happened. In a nutshell, one day, Allen was involved, and then he wasn’t.
It’s disappointing to note that this isn’t the first time fans have felt let down by Allen regarding “Dog Soldiers 2”. As far back as 2004, he announced “Dog Soldiers: Fresh Meat”, but it never materialized despite having a director and script ready. In 2014, there was renewed hope with the emergence of a poster promising a December release, but once again, the date passed without any sign of the sequel. Since then, Marshall has been striving to deliver what fans want, but unfortunately, as his latest update indicates, Allen has again failed to come through for us all.
Werewolves Are Set for a Big Comeback
In recent times, werewolf movies have been taking a backseat, but next month, they’ll be making a comeback to center stage. This is when director Steven C. Miller unveils his action-horror film titled Werewolves, scheduled for release on Dec. 6. The movie, which Frank Grillo has referred to as a mix between “The Purge” and werewolves, revolves around an event triggered by a supermoon. This celestial occurrence awakens a hidden gene in the populace, turning anyone exposed to moonlight into fearsome beasts.
Approximately a month and a half after Miller’s film premiere, Leigh Whannel will contribute to the resurgence of werewolves in popular culture when the movie “Wolf Man” arrives in cinemas on January 17. Although it has been referred to as a reboot of the 1941 Universal monster classic, the trailer suggests a more contained narrative that revolves around a family who are isolated in a farmhouse, surrounded by a werewolf outside, while Christopher Abbott teeters on the brink of transforming into one within.
Although we might not be anticipating the release of Dog Soldiers 2 in the near future, it’s encouraging to see that werewolves could potentially make a resurgence. They’ve been relatively rare in cinema this decade, with only a few notable exceptions like The Beast Within, which unfortunately hasn’t lived up to expectations. Here’s hoping that Miller and Whannel’s new take on werewolves will spark renewed curiosity within the film industry, potentially leading to more quality werewolf movies. However, since Allen still holds the rights for Dog Soldiers, we probably won’t get our hopes up for a sequel just yet.
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2024-11-13 00:01