The first teaser for the Leigh Whannell-directed update of The Wolf Man was released online, and if that was the only glimpse we got of the delayed thriller, then more people might believe we were in for a taut ride. But the producers at Blumhouse and distributor Universal Pictures had to set up a display at this year’s Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios in Orlando, and taint anticipation.
The display was complete with an actor in a costume that reportedly represents the look of the werewolf in the film which X account HHNSpeculationMatt, while covering the event, shared a video of the makeup job in action that you can find a sample of below. Reception of the beast’s appearance – which is more cranky codger than hirsute slasher – that ensued has been lukewarm to negative.
Most fail to see the wolf aspect of this crude, rubbery monster. To us, it’s weird-looking but not very intimidating. We’re with social media wondering who approved this crazy long-in-the-tooth “Wolf” person whom we can already tell lacks the bite of Lon Chaney, Jr., Benicio Del Toro, and Jack Nicholson.
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According to IMDB, the effects were designed by Arjen Tuiten who also designed creatures and prosthetics for the last two Ghostbusters and several Angelina Jolie movies such as Maleficent. He may have come up with the Bad Grandpa werewolf above top to bottom or just followed an unknown superior’s instructions. Either way, there is zero chance Tuiten’s work isn’t being retouched with CGI.
Visual effects overshadowed the practical ones in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire as they do every time, and Hollywood has yet to repent of that tendency. This fact combined with the disappointed fan feedback is a serious indicator that the costume at the Halloween Horror Nights exhibit won’t ultimately be the look of the Wolf Man played by Christopher Abbott.
We’re not saying this is another case of Sonic the Hedgehog, but they have time to fix the flaws in post since the film was pushed out of October and into the misty release window graveyard of January. That by itself hints that Blumhouse and Universal don’t adequately believe in their final product, but maybe audiences will give it a chance anyway.
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