Posted in: Blumhouse, Movies, Universal | Tagged: wolf man

Wolf Man: The Cinematography Is Inspired By 2 Denis Villeneuve Films

Wolf Man director Leigh Whannell has revealed that they looked to the cinematography of two Denis Villeneuve films as inspiration.

When you think of the movies that Leigh Whannell and his cinematographer Stefan Duscio would draw inspiration from for Wolf Man, you think they would look at other horror or monster movies. You're making a monster movie, so of course, those are the movies you'd look to for inspiration. Instead, Whannell, as he explained to Total Film, and Duscio looked to one of the best cinematographers of all time, Roger Deakins, which is already a good idea on its own, but they looked to Deakins's work with director Denis Villeneuve specifically. There isn't a horror movie in the two films they cited, but two films that know how to make you feel the weight of everything happening on film.

"For both movies, Stefan [Duscio, cinematographer] and I were heavily influenced by Roger Deakins's work with Denis Villeneuve, like Sicario and Prisoners," Whannell explained. "If you look at those movies, they're beautifully photographed, without calling attention to themselves. A lot of those movies take place in nondescript rooms, like a beige interview room in a police station, but somehow Roger Deakins can make that room beautiful – it's just his placement, his lighting, his framing. So we drew on that a lot. I think that very grounded approach is the way to do it, because it's a way of convincing the audience that this isn't a fantasy, this is real."

Sicario and Prisoners are both so underrated with how bloody good they are, so it's awesome to see Whannell shouting them out. Deakins is considered one of the best of all time for a reason, and paired with a master like Villeneuve, you get terrific work. Looking to that as inspiration for something in what could be argued to be a completely different genre is an excellent idea. Wolf Man continues to show promise because of the people involved behind the camera, as well as who is in front. Also, watch Prisoners and Sicario; you probably haven't in a while, but you'll remember just how good those movies are.

Wolf Man: Summary, Cast List, Release Date

What if someone you loved became something else?

From Blumhouse and visionary writer-director Leigh Whannell, the creators of the chilling modern monster tale The Invisible Man comes a terrifying new lupine nightmare: Wolf Man.

Golden Globe nominee Christopher Abbott (Poor Things, It Comes at Night) stars as Blake, a San Francisco husband and father, who inherits his remote childhood home in rural Oregon after his own father vanishes and is presumed dead. With his marriage to his high-powered wife, Charlotte (Emmy winner Julia Garner; Ozark, Inventing Anna), fraying, Blake persuades Charlotte to take a break from the city and visit the property with their young daughter, Ginger (Matlida Firth; Hullraisers, Coma).

But as the family approaches the farmhouse in the dead of night, they're attacked by an unseen animal and, in a desperate escape, barricade themselves inside the home as the creature prowls the perimeter. As the night stretches on, however, Blake begins to behave strangely, transforming into something unrecognizable, and Charlotte will be forced to decide whether the terror within their house is more lethal than the danger without.

The film co-stars Sam Jaeger (The Handmaid's Tale), Ben Prendergast (The Sojourn Audio Drama) and Benedict Hardie (The Invisible Man), with newcomer Zac Chandler, Beatriz Romilly (Shortland Street) and Milo Cawthorne (Shortland Street).

Wolf Man is directed by Whannell and written by Whannell & Corbett Tuck. Whannell's previous films with Blumhouse include The Invisible Man, Upgrade and Insidious: Chapter 3.

The film is produced by Blumhouse founder and CEO Jason Blum p.g.a., and Ryan Gosling (The Fall Guy, Lost River) and is executive produced by Whannell, Beatriz Sequeira, Mel Turner and Ken Kao. Universal Pictures and Blumhouse present a Gosling/Waypoint Entertainment production, in association with Cloak & Co: Wolf Man. It will be released in theaters on January 17, 2025.

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