Director Leigh Whannell’s upcoming film Wolf Man has stirred excitement with its fresh take on Universal’s classic monster series. While the movie certainly nods to the 1941 original, Whannell reveals that his approach was influenced by the works of gothic horror legends like Tim Burton and Guillermo del Toro. In a recent interview with SFX, he shared his love for the atmospheric elements in films, particularly the haunting visuals of foggy landscapes and eerie graveyards.
Despite his admiration for these gothic styles, Whannell takes a different direction in Wolf Man, opting for a more grounded, realistic approach to storytelling. The film, which stars Christopher Abbott and Julia Garner, is set in rural Oregon, where a writer named Blake encounters a terrifying beast after moving his family into his late father’s home. Whannell insists that, while visually influenced by gothic cinema, his goal is to create a world where the horror feels like something that could really happen—not a fantastical tale.
Whannell’s commitment to realism extends to the film’s cinematography, where he and his team drew inspiration from renowned cinematographer Roger Deakins. The director references films like Sicario and Prisoners, explaining that even the most mundane settings can be made visually compelling with the right lighting and framing. For Whannell, it’s about making the audience feel as though they’re witnessing something plausible and terrifying, rather than a story pulled from a fairy tale. Wolf Man is set to hit theaters on January 17.
How do you feel about a more grounded take on classic monster movies?