The Wolfman has found its leading man – none other than Ryan Gosling.
According to Variety, the Blade Runner 2049 star has been tapped to join The Wolfman – Universal’s next big-budget instalment in the Universal Monsters franchise.
“The studio is pushing ahead for Wolfman,” they revealed, “which is being developed as a starring vehicle for Ryan Gosling, to be the next movie based on its catalogue of iconic creatures.”
The timing for this couldn’t be better. Following the critical success of Elisabeth Moss’s The Invisible Man, it looks as though interest has piqued for the ailing franchise. It certainly looks as though they’ve really got their act together following the colossal misfire of The Mummy.
But who will direct The Wolfman?
“Executives at Universal have been meeting with directors over the past month,” they reveal, “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.”
Following the success of The Invisible Man, it’s interesting that Universal may be looking to entrust the franchise with a relative newcomer. But this could be a positive sign, as Universal looks to bring fresh new talent to reinvigorate their monster movies.
As for the tone of The Wolfman, it’s said to be set in modern times, and in the vein of Jake Gyllenhaal’s Nightcrawler. Considering the subject matter, it’s safe to assume that includes a supernatural twist.
Ryan Gosling definitely feels like a great choice for The Wolfman. After all, he’s proved his acting chops time and time again, and feels like a natural to follow in Gyllenhaal’s footsteps with a pained, troubled take on the Wolfman character. But it goes way beyond that – Golsing himself pitched the project, giving this the feel of a real passion project from one of cinema’s hottest actors.
Lauren Schuker Blum and Rebecca Angelo reportedly wrote the script, based on Gosling’s original pitch.
According to Variety, Universal relaxed the interconnectedness of its Monsters franchise following The Mummy. Now, they’re looking to explore the monsters’ legacies with a series of filmmaker-driven projects. It feels like a much more organic way to tackle these classic movie monsters, and if The Invisible Man is anything to go by, it could prove to be a huge success.
“Everyone from James Wan to Paul Feig and John Krasinski has given pitches on the characters they would love to tackle,” explains Variety. “Each of those films are in various stages of development, with many that are just pitches still seeking writers.”
But by loosening restrictions around the Monsters franchise, it looks as though universal is opening itself up to far more creative projects. And that’s exactly what the Monsters really need.
The Wolfman production and release dates are currently unknown.
