Wolf Man could be next up for Universal Monsters cinematic universe

By Rick Marshall Published November 13, 2014

wolf man next universal monsters cinematic universe the — Image used with permission by copyright holder

It was only just announced that Universal Pictures had staked out a weekend in 2017 for the release of the next film in its burgeoning cinematic universe based on the studio’s classic monster franchises. Now, a new report suggests that the date could be filled by a very familiar, furry face: The Wolf Man.

In a recent feature outlining Universal’s upcoming slate of projects, Deadline reports that Contraband and Prisoners writer Aaron Guzikowski is the top choice for a reboot of The Wolf Man series to follow Alex Kurtzman’s upcoming reboot of The Mummy franchise. Given that The Wolf Man was one of the more popular stars of Universal’s 1940s monster-movie series, the choice of character makes sense — though nothing is official at this point.

Related: Dracula Untold review

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If the rumor proves true, this would be the studio’s second attempt at rebooting the franchise after 2010’s The Wolfman failed to win over critics or audiences, despite earning an Academy Award for its makeup effects. The original film that kicked off the franchise, 1941’s The Wolf Man, starred Lon Chaney, Jr. as the title character and went on to spawn four pseudo-sequels.

This year’s Dracula Untold was intended to be the beginning of a full-scale cinematic universe based on the Universal Pictures monsters, which continues with The Mummy in 2016. It’s worth noting that 2016 will also mark the 75th anniversary of the The Wolf Man arriving in theaters, so the film might actually slide into the calendar even earlier than the 2017 release date.

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