Wolf Man Director Reveals What ’80s Body Horror Movie Inspired The Werewolf Transformations: “The Tragedy Of The Human Body Falling Apart”

Wolf Man director Leigh Whannell has revealed which ’80s body horror movie inspired the upcoming monster movie’s terrifying werewolf transformations. The upcoming Wolf Man remake focuses on a family consisting of Blake (Christopher Abbott), his wife Charlotte (Julia Garner), and their daughter Ginger (Matilda Firth) who become isolated in a rural home after being attacked by a monster. This turns out to be a werewolf, who infected Blake, causing him to slowly shapeshift into the beast under the light of the full moon.

Speaking with Empire, Whannell explained how the 1986 body horror movie The Fly was a key inspiration for Blake’s upcoming transformation sequence in Wolf Man. The director said the terrifying elements of the ’80s film also emphasized the tragedy of the situation, something he also wanted to emphasize with how Blake and his family confront what’s happening. Check out what Whannell had to say about the transformation sequences below:

What The Fly did that a lot of other practical-effects-driven horror movies from that time did not do was bring the tragedy out of these practical effects. It wasn’t a joke in The Fly. It was there to illustrate someone who was dying of an illness. I was like, ‘I’ve got to do that.’ It’s not about being funny or icky or gory. This is about the tragedy of the human body falling apart.

What Whannell’s The Fly Inspiration Means For Wolf Man

The Movies Will Both Express Tragedy In Their Horror

The 1986 movie focused on scientist Seth Brundle (Jeff Goldblum) accidentally infusing himself with fly DNA while testing a teleportation device he’d created. As the film progresses, he begins transforming into a more monstrous creature, until he mutates into a large humanoid that’s more fly than man by the end of the movie. Since the cast of Wolf Man will see a family isolated from the outside world as one slowly starts to become a monster, the film has ample opportunity to play into the tragedy of the situation.

Since Whannell cited The Fly as inspiration because of its tragedy, that same approach will no doubt be reflected in how the werewolf movie plays out. As the first 2025 Blumhouse horror movie, the film can offer a good impression of what follows if it adheres to the elements its director is praising. Even though it’s unclear what events will unfold in the movie, the idea of a werewolf film focused on family tragedy makes it unique, creating a monster that is more sad than scary.

Our Take On Wolf Man Pulling Inspiration From The Fly

It Teases Many Layers Of Terror

Since The Fly will serve as a major inspiration for Wolf Man, the movie’s horror can be layered in tragedy, making the events intense for both Blake’s family and himself. This no doubt means plenty of emotional moments that carry a horrific weight to them, as the family hurtles toward inevitably losing one of their own. With the movie coming out at the start of 2025, it won’t be long until the true influence the ’80s movie had is on fully display.

Source: Empire

Wolfman is a reboot of the classic Universal Monsters movie The Wolfman. Christopher Abbott stars in the lead role and is helmed by The Invisible Man director Leigh Whannell. The film follows the same premise as the original and the 2010 reboot, focusing on a man who becomes a werewolf after falling victim to an ancient curse.

Director

Leigh Whannell

Release Date

January 17, 2025

Studio(s)

Blumhouse Productions

Distributor(s)

Universal Pictures

Writers

Leigh Whannell
, Corbett Tuck
, Lauren Schuker Blum
, Rebecca Angelo

Cast

Christopher Abbott
, Julia Garner
, Matilda Firth
, Sam Jaeger
, Benedict Hardie

Expand