The 'Blade Runner 2049' actor is set to portray the classic monster from the studio's catalog of iconic creatures following the success of Elisabeth Moss' 'The Invisible Man'.
- May 30, 2020
AceShowbiz - Ryan Gosling is set to transform into the Wolfman. The "La La Land" actor is set to tackle the role of the classic monster from Universal Studios' catalog of iconic creatures in an upcoming reboot.
The project is in development at the studio following the success of Elisabeth Moss' "The Invisible Man". According to Variety which first reported the news, Universal has been meeting with directors over the past month and a decision could be made soon on who will take the reins behind the camera.
Sources tell the site that Cory Finley, who recently received rave reviews for his work on HBO's film "Bad Education", is among the mix of potential directors, though it's noted that there's no frontrunner at the time being.
Lauren Schuker Blum and Rebecca Angelo, who are both known for penning "Orange Is the New Black", are tapped to write the script of the Wolfman remake, based on an original pitch by Gosling. Little is known about the plot, but it said to be set in present times and in the vein of Jake Gyllenhaal's thriller "Nightcrawler", with a supernatural twist.
Universal has been attempting to launch its shared Monsterverse (dubbed "The Dark Universe"), but was forced to reassess the plan after Tom Cruise's 2017 "The Mummy", which was eyed as the first film of the potential franchise, misfired. The studio later moved on with filmmaker-driven projects based on the monsters legacies, allowing filmmakers to create their own unique stories without being restricted to having the movie be a part of a larger scheme.
By loosening the universe restrictions, the studio has seen positive outcome with "The Invisible Man" (2020) starring Elisabeth Moss. The sci-fi horror flick grossed $122 million at the box office on a modest $7 million budget for its production.
The latest Wolfman feature film, meanwhile, was released in 2010, with Benicio del Toro starring as the infamous lycanthrope. The movie was critically panned and a box office bomb, earning only $142.7 million against its production budget of $150 million. However, Rick Baker and make-up effects supervisor Dave Elsey won the Academy Award for Best Makeup at the 83rd Academy Awards for their works in the film.
