Wolfman (Christopher Abbott / Julia Garner / Sam Jaeger) (October 25, 2024)

Months after Universal successfully relaunched its monster universe with Elisabeth Moss’s “The Invisible Man,” the studio is pushing ahead for “Wolfman” — which is being developed as a starring vehicle for Ryan Gosling — to be the next movie based on its catalog of iconic creatures.

Sources tell Variety that executives at Universal have been meeting with directors over the past month and could be making a decision soon on who will take the reins behind the camera. While there is no frontrunner at the time, Cory Finley, who recently received rave reviews for directing HBO’s drama “Bad Education” with Hugh Jackman and Allison Janney, is said to be in the mix for the job.

Universal and CAA had no comment.

It’s unknown what the new take on “Wolfman” will look like, though it is believed to be set in present times and in the vein of Jake Gyllenhaal’s thriller “Nightcrawler,” with an obvious supernatural twist.

Lauren Schuker Blum and Rebecca Angelo, who wrote for Netflix’s “Orange is the New Black,” penned the script, which is based on an original pitch by Gosling.

Gosling’s take fell in line with the studio’s new vision for its monster movies. Universal had originally planned on creating an interconnected universe with its vast catalog of monster IP. However, the studio reassessed after “The Mummy” with Tom Cruise misfired, and decided to move forward with filmmaker-driven projects based on the monsters’ legacies, focusing on what made the characters endure over time. Instead of prescribing a mandate that the films be part of a larger scheme, Universal loosened those restrictions and open-sourced to filmmakers to create their own unique stories.

Everyone from James Wan to Paul Feig and John Krasinski has given pitches on the characters they would love to tackle. Each of those films are in various stages of development, with many that are just pitches still seeking writers. But studio insiders have stressed that by loosening the universe restrictions, it allows for more opportunities to present themselves and the hope of the next monster movie having similar results as “The Invisible Man.” “The Invisible Man” cost $7 million to make, and earned $122 million at the box office before movie theaters were forced to close due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Timing for “Wolfman” is also in question. While it seems to be in good position to get off the ground, an exact production start date is still up in the air. Besides the fact that Gosling himself would have to close a deal to star, he is also currently set to lead an untitled astronaut film at MGM. That movie, an adaptation of “The Martian” author Andy Weir’s upcoming novel, recently hired Phil Lord and Chris Miller to direct. By all accounts, that seems to Gosling’s next project.

UltimateMarvel wrote:I can't remember the last time he was in a good movie, maybe this is it.

I watched The Invisible Man weeks ago, it was good. Even The Mummy I didn't find that bad.

WyldeMan wrote:I can because it was nine years ago with 2011's Drive.

I wanted to see The Invisible Man until I read it was actually just a cloaking suit that is worn by multiple assholes and not a man turned invisible with science.

That is horse shit....

EXCLUSIVE: Universal’s latest Wolfman movie starring Ryan Gosling looks to be gaining momentum as the studio has zeroed in on a director that knows the Oscar-nominated actor’s work very well. Sources tell Deadline that Derek Cianfrance, who teamed with Gosling on the dramas Place Beyond the Pines and Blue Valentine, is in talks to direct a new take on the studio’s classic monster character.

Cianfrance steps in for Leigh Whannell, who parted ways with the project earlier this year due to scheduling. Gosling, Ken Kao and Jason Blum are producing, and Cianfrance is penning the script.

It’s unknown what the new take on Wolfman will look like, though it is believed to be a modern take and not a period piece like the one starring Benicio Del Toro. Gosling pitched the idea and the take fell in line with the studio’s new vision for its monster movies. Universal had originally planned on creating an interconnected universe with its vast catalog of monster IP. However, the studio reassessed after The Mummy with Tom Cruise misfired, and decided to move forward with filmmaker-driven projects based on the monsters’ legacies, focusing on what made the characters endure over time. Instead of prescribing a mandate that the films be part of a larger scheme, Universal loosened those restrictions and open-sourced to talent to create their own unique stories.

Cianfrance is not known for tackling event projects at major studios, preferring more grounded adult dramas he’s done with Gosling like Blue Valentine and Place Beyond the Pines. That said, the two are always open to listening to pitches from one another when projects come up, and insiders say after Whannell departed, Gosling approached Cianfrance about his idea for the film, ultimately winning the director over.

“Horror movies were my first love — my entry into what cinema was capable of narratively, psychologically and aesthetically. Coupled with the opportunity to collaborate with Ryan again, this is truly a dream come true. I’m thrilled and inspired to work with the good folks at Blumhouse and Universal to bring this monster back to life in our collective unconscious,” said Cianfrance.

Although Cianfrance hasn’t directed a film since 2016’s The Light Between Oceans, he recently earned an Oscar nomination for his work writing Sound of Metal. On the TV front, he earned strong reviews directing all six episodes of the Emmy-winning limited series I Know This Much Is True starring Mark Ruffalo.

Universal Pictures has been desperately trying to turn its iconic Monsters characters into a cinematic universe. However, their first attempt to launch the “Dark Universe,” with Tom Cruise‘s “The Mummy,” was a massive failure.

In 2020, help came in the form of Leigh Whannell‘s “The Invisible Man,” spearheaded by Blumhouse Pictures. Unlike “The Mummy,” Whannell’s ‘Invisible Man’ felt like a horror indie. It also introduced a possible winning formula for the rest of Universal’s “Monsterverse.”

Whannell was later announced as the director of Universal’s “Wolfman,” starring Ryan Gosling. However, Whannell was then soon replaced by director Derek Cianfrance, who would reunite with Gosling after their collaborations on dramas “Blue Valentine” and “A Place Beyond The Pines.” Whannell, reportedly, exited over scheduling issues.

Well, what a different a pandemic and an actors strike can make. Schedules have been hit hard during this tumultuous time in the industry, and it seems as though this has led to Whannell’s “scheduling issues” potentially no longer being an issue?

A listing on Production Weekly now claims that Whannell is back in the director’s chair for “Wolfman” with Cianfrance’s screenplay still being used as the shooting script. So we’ll be getting a Whannell/Cianfrance partnership, or so Production Weekly claims. File this one under “rumor.”

This could potentially be great news, especially if you are a fan of Whannell’s output, for which I definitely am. His 2018 sci-fi mindbender “Upgrade” and 2020’s “The Invisible Man” were Verhoeven-esque in their darkly satirical approaches to genre cinema.

Of note, Universal’s plans for their ‘Monsterverse’ includes other horror projects in various development stages, including Chloe Zhao’s “Dracula.”

Julia Garner is set to headline Blumhouse and Universal’s Wolf Man from Invisible Man filmmaker Leigh Whannell.

Wolf Man will reunite Garner with Christopher Abbott, who was previously announced as starring in the movie, with whom she starred alongside in Martha, Marcy, May, Marlene; Garner’s first professional acting role.

The movie is set to be released via Universal on Friday, October 25, 2024.

Wolf Man, scripted by Whannell & Corbett Tuck and Lauren Schuker Blum & Rebecca Angelo (Dumb Money), stars Garner as a mother whose family is being terrorized by a lethal predator.  

Jason Blum is producing the film. Ryan Gosling, Ken Kao, Bea Sequeira, Mel Turner and Whannell are executive producers. Wolf Man is a Blumhouse and Motel Movies production.

Garner is a 3x Primetime Emmy Award winner and Golden Globe Winner for her turn as “Ruth Langmore” in the award-winning series Ozark. She’s also a multiple nominee for her character portrayal of the real life con artist “Anna Delvey” in Shonda Rhimes Inventing Anna.  Garner is an IFP Spirit Award nominee for her leading role in Kitty Green’s The Assistant. The actress impressed audiences again when she reteamed with Green in her latest feature, The Royal Hotel for which Garner also produced through her production banner Alma Margo. Next up, Garner will be seen as the female lead in the psychological thriller Apartment 7A for Paramount and producer John Krasinski.

Garner is repped by UTA, LBI Entertainment, and Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern.

In addition to Invisible Man, Whannell also directed Insidious 3 and Upgrade.

EXCLUSIVE: The Handmaid’s Tale actor Sam Jaeger is joining Blumhouse and Universal‘s Wolf Man alongside previously announced Julia Garner and Christopher Abbott. Cameras are currently rolling in New Zealand

The Leigh Whannell directed movie follows a family who is being terrorized by a lethal predator.

Whannell wrote the pic with Corbett Tuck, Lauren Schuker Blum and Rebecca Angelo, the latter two who recently penned Sony’s Dumb Money.

Jason Blum is producing with Ryan Gosling, Ken Kao, Bea Sequeira, Mel Turner and Whannell serving as EPs. Wolf Man is a Blumhouse and Motel Movies production.

Jaeger is a series regular on the multiple Emmy Award winning Hulu/MGM series The Handmaid’s Tale, playing Mark Tuello. He started the series in Season 2 in a guest role which grew into a larger series regular. Jaeger also starred opposite Emily Deschanel in Netflix’s limited series The Devil in Ohio, and recently wrapped the indie movie The Wilderness. Jaeger began his career in New York and immediately landed a supporting role in Steven Soderbergh’s Traffic upon moving to Los Angeles. Since then, he’s appeared in such films as Clint Eastwood’s American Sniper, Paul Thomas Anderson’s Inherent Vice and opposite Jessica Chastain and Andrew Garfield in the Academy Award winning The Eyes of Tammy Faye. Jaeger is well known for his role as Joel Graham in the NBC series Parenthood. He played lead roles in the NBC series Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Brothers, the ABC miniseries When We Rise, Tell Me a Story for CBS All-Access, Marc Cherry’s Why Women Kill and Ryan Murphy/Brad Falchuk’s The Politician opposite Gwenyth Paltrow. Working behind the camera, Jaeger’s directing credits include an episode of Parenthood, the multi-award winning feature film Take Me Home, and a music video for the indie artist Bootstraps starring Alexandra Daddario and Parenthood alum Erika Christensen. He is repped by Greene Talent and Entertainment 360.

Whannell directed such Blumhouse faves as Insidious Chapter 3, The Invisible Man and Upgrade.