Leigh Whannell on Bringing Real Life Horror to New Wolf Man Movie

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Throughout his entire writing career as a horror specialist, Leigh Whannell consistently demonstrates an exceptional talent for causing cinema-goers to tremble with fear in a dimly lit theater, only to entice them to seek out more of his chilling stories.

Leigh Whannell serves as the screenwriting architect for both the Saw and Insidious series, and over the past five years, he has teamed up with Blumhouse Productions and Universal Pictures to pen and direct contemporary adaptations of classic Universal Monsters tales such as The Invisible Man (2020) and this weekend’s highly anticipated release, Wolf Man. (You can purchase tickets here.)

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In this contemporary take on werewolf folklore, we delve into the lives of a family grappling with disconnection. When stay-at-home father Blake (Christopher Abbott) learns of his own father’s demise, he decides to move his wife, Charlotte (Julia Garner), and their 10-year-old daughter, Ginger (Matilda Firth), to a secluded family ranch in Oregon. Their intention is to tidy up the property and enjoy a summer away from civilization together. However, it doesn’t take long for things to take a drastic turn for the worse.

At a recent event in Los Angeles, SYFY WIRE was present, where director James Wan (Whannell) took part in a question-and-answer session. During this interaction, he disclosed that the inspiration for this Wolf Man adaptation stemmed from his family’s experiences with isolation during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdowns and from observing the daily personal horror stories that are prevalent among humanity.

Leigh Whannell on finding Wolf Man‘s horror metaphor 

Throughout 2020, Whannell playfully expressed his jealousy towards friends who mastered the art of sourdough baking, as he found himself repeatedly building the same couch fort with his children instead.

During their lockdown in Australia, Whannell stated that everyone was secluded and they stayed at home. He recollected taking his dog for a walk that year, which seemed like a scene from “Night of the Living Dead“. There wasn’t a soul on the street, and it gave him an unsettling sense of isolation. This feeling of solitude was incorporated into the script, and it resonated. Together with his wife, Corbett Tuck, he co-wrote the movie, pouring all the apprehension, unease, and anxiety of that year into the script.

Apart from the solitude, Whannell added they intertwined numerous other simultaneous themes as well. It seemed to encompass ideas such as parenthood and striving to be a better parent than your own parents, yet still making mistakes. It also addressed the challenges of a relationship and marriage amidst the stresses of contemporary life. Additionally, it touched upon the idea of illness or disease.

Whannell shared that their inspiration for their work stemmed from witnessing a close friend’s struggle with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). This condition gradually took away her mobility and ability to communicate, creating a heart-wrenching spectacle. He explained, “Horror can be found everywhere, if we choose to see it.” He further added that while horror movies depict monsters, in reality, there are many ‘horror stories’ like a child losing their mother to cancer. To put it simply, they personify real-life struggles like disease and the emotional turmoil of recognizing a loved one changing, in their monster movies.

Leigh Whannell on creating a claustrophobic Wolf Man scenario

By choosing the family farmhouse as the main location for “Wolf Man”, Whannell explained that he could create an environment where the family experiences Blake’s transformation in a deeply intimate and personal manner.

He stated that he chose not to engage with the broader world concerning this specific tale. Instead, it seemed like this story desired to focus on a single family, confined and unable to escape, essentially trapped. From the initial draft to the final movie, we stayed committed to this theme without making many alterations.

Whannell is equally pleased with another unique aspect he introduced to the monster tale: the camera alternating between Blake’s view of the world during his transformation into a monster and the usual human perspective.

What truly ignited my passion and confirmed my desire to create this film was contemplating how I could approach this story uniquely, and the concept that intrigued me was the ability for the camera to move between different worlds. The initial visual that popped into my mind was someone speaking, yet their words remained unintelligible. This image served as the foundation upon which I constructed the entire movie.

Wolf Man is in theaters everywhere January 17. Get tickets at Fandango.

When will Wolf Man stream on Peacock?

The new Wolf Man will stream on Peacock later this year. Check back for more updates!

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2025-01-15 23:31