Evil Dead Rise director Lee Cronin recently teamed up with Atomic Monster, Blumhouse Productions, and New Line Cinema to bring us his take on the concept of a classic horror monster, the mummy. His film, Lee Cronin’s The Mummy, reached theatres last month (you can read our review HERE) – and now, we’re just one week away from the digital release! Our friends at Bloody Disgusting have learned that Lee Cronin’s The Mummy is set for a May 19 digital release, with a physical media release to follow on July 14.

What is the runtime of The Mummy?

Lee Cronin’s The Mummy has a runtime of 134 minutes (2 hours and 14 minutes), making it one of the longest mummy movies ever made.

Who’s in the cast?

Lee Cronin’s The Mummy stars Jack Reynor (Midsommar), Laia Costa (Victoria), May Calamawy (Moon Knight), Veronica Falcón (Queen of the South), Hayat Kamille (Vikings: Valhalla), and May Elghety (Clash).

It should be noted that, since the project is set up at New Line Cinema, this “new take on the horror trope revolving around the ancient mummified undead” has nothing to do with the classic Universal horror property. We heard back in May 2024 that there are three Mummy projects in development at Universal, including a prequel that screenwriter Wes Tooke is working on and a sequel to the Brendan Fraser films (those being The Mummy 1999, The Mummy Returns, and The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor). It was recently confirmed that Fraser and Rachel Weisz are coming back for The Mummy 4, which has Radio Silence attached to direct from a script by David Coggeshall.

What is the film about?

Here’s the synopsis: The young daughter of a journalist disappears into the desert without a trace—eight years later, the broken family is shocked when she is returned to them, as what should be a joyful reunion turns into a living nightmare.

Atomic Monster and Blumhouse are co-financing Lee Cronin’s film. James Wan is producing alongside Jason Blum and John Keville. Michael Clear, Judson Scott, and Macdara Kelleher serve as executive producers. Alayna Glasthal is the executive overseeing the project for Atomic Monster. Cronin’s Doppelgängers banner is also producing.

Are you glad to hear that the digital release of Lee Cronin’s The Mummy is only a week away? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

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Filmmaker Charles Band has a career that stretches back into the 1970s, and over the decades he has brought more than four hundred genre movies into the world. He’s best known for launching the company Full Moon, which got its start with the classic Puppet Master back in 1989. All these years later, Full Moon is still going strong – and it looks like 2026 is going to be a great year for the company. A while back, they launched a poll where fans to choose their next ten productions, with fourteen options to pick from. One of the winners was a project called The Grim Rapper, which has been on the Full Moon “to do” list for a long time. It made it through production a few months ago, and now a trailer for the finished film has dropped online! You can check it out in the embed above.

A specific release date hasn’t been announced, but Full Moon says the movie will premiere sometime this summer, and it will be streaming on Full Moon Features.

What is The Grim Rapper about?

When a different version of The Grim Rapper was announced several years ago, it was going to be directed by William Butler from a script by C. Courtney Joyner. At the time, the project had the following description: The year is 1996. After the East-Coast West-Coast hip-hop war leaves a notorious L.A. gangsta rapper shot dead, the resurrected thug returns as a relentless killing machine, hellbent on revenge! He’s “The Grim Rapper”, determined to wipe out the posse that did him wrong by executing his targets with his gruesome weapon of choice: a massive skull-laden boom-box that obliterates anyone in its path with deadly beats blasted straight outta Hell! As the bodies pile up, the streets run red and everyday hustlin’ turns into a hip-hoppin’ horrorshow!

Now The Grim Rapper has the following synopsis, and Joyner’s script has been updated to a modern setting: Rap icon D.A. Mann is murdered at the height of his fame and returns from the dead three decades later after forging a dark pact with an Aztec blood demon. Driven by vengeance and the desperate hope of seeing his true love one final time, he rises to confront the people who betrayed him and deliver their souls to the demon. When Hathorne Slim a ruthless record label executive attempts to cash in by releasing D.A. Mann’s unreleased albums, the resurrected rapper unleashes a wave of supernatural retribution that threatens the executive and everyone in his path.

The film marks the feature directorial debut of Hugo Velazco, who is already a trusted member of the Full Moon team, as he has been working in the marketing department for at least ten years.

Will you be watching The Grim Rapper when it premieres this summer? Take a look at the trailer, then let us know by leaving a comment below.

The post Full Moon unveils a trailer for The Grim Rapper, premiering this summer appeared first on JoBlo.

There are three films in Paramount’s sci-fi horror A Quiet Place franchise – but the most recently released film, last year’s A Quiet Place: Day One, didn’t count as “A Quiet Place Part III.” That film, directed by Michael Sarnoski, was a prequel story that was set in the same world as the first two movies and had a character connection to A Quiet Place Part II, but didn’t continue the trilogy. The trilogy capper is coming our way from writer/director/producer John Krasinski, who also directed the first two movies – and filming on A Quiet Place Part III is now underway! The film is set to be released in theatres on July 30, 2027.

Krasinski and Allyson Seeger’s Sunday Night Productions are producing the film with Platinum Dunes. Sunday Night has a first-look deal with Paramount.

Krasinski hypes A Quiet Place Part III

Back when Paramount Pictures released A Quiet Place Part II in 2020, Krasinski said he had some elements of the third film in mind while working on the script for the second. He told Collider, “I genuinely hadn’t thought about a second one when I was doing the first one. However, I really had these questions while I was doing it. I put the fires out in the distance in the first one, and I always thought to myself, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool if we got to explore where those fires lead to? Who’s on the other end of those fires?’ But I never thought that there would be a sequel. So then when I actually came around to writing the sequel, I started with the fires. And so this time, I think when my brain started wandering of questions of what would this mean later on, I started to write down notes in case I could prepare myself for a third one.”

Who’s in the cast?

Returning stars Emily Blunt, Cillian Murphy, Millicent Simmonds, and Noah Jupe are joined in the cast of A Quiet Place Part III by Jack O’Connell (Sinners, 28 Years Later), Jason Clarke (A House of Dynamite, The Last Frontier), and Katy O’Brian (Love Lies Bleeding, Queens of the Dead).

Filming is taking place in New York, and Krasinski took to social media to share a picture of the film slate in front of the Manhattan Bridge Arch and Colonnade in New York City’s Chinatown.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by John Krasinski (@johnkrasinski)

Are you glad to hear that A Quiet Place Part III is now filming? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

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Chris

This week marks the kick-off of the 79th edition of the Cannes Film Festival, and this year, JoBlo is going to be there! This marks my first trip to perhaps the grandest, most celebrated festival in the world, and I couldn’t be happier. While there has been plenty of talk of Hollywood films skipping the fest, there are still a lot of really interesting titles playing — here are five I’m especially excited to see (the gods of festival ticketing permitting).

Paper Tiger:

Easily the highest-profile title playing the fest this year, Adam Driver, Miles Teller, and Scarlett Johansson star in this crime drama about two brothers who get tied up with the Russian Mafia. It’s written and directed by one of my favorite directors, James Gray, who’s never made a bad film in my book (his last one — Armageddon Time — was wildly underrated, and The Lost City of Z is a masterpiece). If this one takes off, it could generate some awards buzz, especially with this being Driver and Johansson’s first movie together since Marriage Story.

Hope:

Na Hong-jin is a director whose career I’ve been following ever since I caught his thriller, The Chaser, at the Fantasia Film Festival way back in 2008. His last movie, The Wailing, was widely considered a horror masterpiece, and he’s back with his most ambitious movie ever. Not much is known about the premise other than it’s a science-fiction thriller. The Wailing’s Hwang Jung-min plays the lead in a cast that — intriguingly — contains a few big Western actors, including Michael Fassbender, Taylor Russell, and Alicia Vikander.

Teenage Sex & Death at Camp Miasma:

This is director Jane Schoenbrun’s follow-up to her acclaimed I Saw the TV Glow, which was a huge art-house horror hit a couple of years ago. In this one, a filmmaker is hired to direct the latest installment of a long-running slasher series called Camp Miasma, and becomes obsessed with tracking down the reclusive actress who once played the Final Girl in the original, iconic film. Hannah Einbinder stars alongside the great Gillian Anderson, as well as SNL’s Sarah Sherman and Sorry, Baby mastermind Eva Victor.

Her Private Hell:

Nicolas Winding Refn is back at Cannes with his first feature in a decade (since The Neon Demon). Sophie Thatcher and Charles Melton star in this futuristic film about a young woman’s search for her missing father. Knowing Refn, this will be wildly provocative and divisive — but hey, that’s why we love him.

Fjord:

One of the movies everyone here is most excited to see is Cristian Mungiu’s latest, which features a huge cast including Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve, and is supposed to be a dark drama about a family in turmoil. Stan has always been underrated, and Reinsve is one of the best actresses in the game, so this could be a potential Best Foreign Film Oscar contender.

What are you most excited to see? Let us know in the comments!

The post Cannes Film Festival Preview: 5 Films We Can’t Wait to See! appeared first on JoBlo.

Sean Byrne is a director whose career I’ve been keeping an eye on for a long time – which hasn’t been too difficult to do, because he doesn’t make movies nearly as often as I would like. He made his feature directorial debut in 2009 with The Loved Ones, the story of the worst prom night this side of Carrie. His second feature didn’t come along until 2015, the haunted house movie The Devil’s Candy. Then we had to wait a decade for his third movie, Dangerous Animals, which blended serial killer thrills with shark thrills. Thankfully, it looks like we won’t have to wait too long for his fourth feature, as The Hollywood Reporter has broken the news that Academy Award winner Melissa Leo (The Fighter) has signed on to star in Bryne’s serial killer thriller The Mannequin!

What is The Mannequin about?

Scheduled to start filming this summer, The Mannequin is described as being “an original, violent and blistering high-stakes thriller” of the serial killer procedural variety. Unfortunately, an official synopsis isn’t available at this time.

Byrne will be directing the film from a screenplay he wrote himself.

The Mannequin is coming our way from Studiocanal’s new genre label Sixth Dimension, which is designed for “high-concept storytelling across horror, thriller, action and sci-fi, giving creators a new dimension in which to surprise, shock and entertain.” The company is launching worldwide sales this week in Cannes. They’ll be releasing the film theatrically in their own territories of the U.K., France, Germany, Benelux, Poland, Australia, and New Zealand. Elevation Pictures will release it in Canada.

William Woods and Maddy Falle are producing the film for Page 12 Pictures Inc. while Kristian Moliere does the same for Triptych Pictures. Executive producers include Steven Schneider, Phil Hunt, Compton Ross, Charlie Kemball, and Jed Benedict for Studiocanal’s Sixth Dimension. Head Gear Films packaged the project with Schneider’s Room 101.

What has been said about The Mannequin?

Byrne provided the following statement: “After wading through bloodied waters together on Dangerous Animals, I’m thrilled to be alongside my friends at Studiocanal’s Sixth Dimension. I can’t wait to unleash The Mannequin on the big screen. There have been other serial killer procedurals, but this is its own thrillingly deranged beast — twisted, intense, propulsive, and anchored by a fearless performance from Melissa Leo, building to a shocking twist you won’t see coming. It’ll put you on the edge of your seat and keep you there.“

Benedict added, “Nostalgia exists for the best serial killer movies of the noughties for good reason; not only are they brilliantly scary and tense, but they’re meticulously written. With The Mannequin, Sean Byrne has gifted us two unforgettable characters in Charley and Sadie and then thrown them into a fast-escalating nightmare. With the extraordinary Melissa Leo set to star, and a stellar creative team, we at Sixth Dimension can’t wait for audiences to discover Sean’s terrifying manhunt thriller.“

Does The Mannequin sound interesting you? Share your thoughts on this Sean Byrne / Melissa Leo thriller project by leaving a comment below.

The post The Mannequin: Melissa Leo to star in Sean Byrne’s serial killer thriller appeared first on JoBlo.

Cody

The Friday the 13th franchise is one of the most iconic and long-running horror series of all time, spanning 12 films released between 1980 and 2009. Centered around the legendary slasher Jason Voorhees, the series evolved from a grounded campfire horror story into a wild mix of supernatural mayhem, meta crossovers, and even sci-fi. Below is our ranking of all Friday the 13th movies, from best to worst.

Friday the 13th Movies Ranked (Best to Worst):

1. Friday the 13th Part III (1982)
2. Friday the 13th (1980)
3. Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984)
4. Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986)
5. Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981)
6. Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood (1988)
7. Friday the 13th: A New Beginning (1985)
8. Freddy vs. Jason (2003)
9. Friday the 13th (2009)
10. Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989)
11. Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (1993)
12. Jason X (2002)

Key Takeaways

• Best Movie: Friday the 13th Part III (1982)
• Worst Movie: Jason X (2002)
• Most Underrated: Friday the 13th (2009)
• Most Divisive: Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (1993)

1. FRIDAY THE 13TH PART III (1982)

The film where Jason becomes the Jason we know today.

The Jason everyone knows is born here. This is where he gets his iconic hockey mask, and he wears it while taking out a group of youths vacationing at a cabin on the edge of Crystal Lake. Part 2 director Steve Miner returned for this one and managed to make it creepy while also packing it with gimmicks meant to be seen in 3D on the big screen – and you ever have the chance to see Friday the 13th Part III in 3D, go for it. It’s an awesome experience. Especially when you get to watch the hulking, hockey masked Jason (Richard Brooker) engage the final girl in one of the best chases of the franchise. A 13 minute sequence that goes all over the cabin property.

2. FRIDAY THE 13TH (1980)

The original that started it all.

Directed by Sean S. Cunningham, the original Friday the 13th has achieved classic status – and yet somehow it still doesn’t get enough respect or credit for how effectively creepy it is. A low budget but well crafted production, it delivers a dark-yet-fun atmosphere, an unnerving back story, an incredible score, amazing special effects (courtesy of Tom Savini), and an unforgettable performance by Betsy Palmer. Palmer shows up late in the film as a grieving mother out to avenge her young son, who drowned at Camp Crystal Lake more than twenty years earlier because the counselors weren’t paying attention. The new counselors didn’t have anything to do with it, but they pay the price.

3. FRIDAY THE 13TH: THE FINAL CHAPTER (1984)

Peak classic slasher formula.

A family living in a house out in the woods. A group of young people renting the house right across from them. And Jason Voorhees (Ted White this time) lurking nearby, waiting to strike. Director Joseph Zito brought a very dark atmosphere to this film, and yet it’s also a whole lot of fun, featuring some of the best, most likeable young characters in the entire series. (Plus some wild dancing from Crispin Glover.) Tom Savini believed “The Final Chapter” subtitle and returned to supply the bloodshed for Jason’s send-off. The kills are brutal, even the ones that are cut quickly, and the showiest of all is reserved for Jason himself. Jason is legitimately scary in this film, but a clever young boy named Tommy Jarvis figures out how to defeat the monster. For now.

4. FRIDAY THE 13TH PART VI: JASON LIVES (1986)

The franchise embraces humor and self-awareness.

Tasked with bringing Jason Voorhees back from the dead, writer/director Tom McLoughlin looked to the Universal Monsters era for inspiration and resurrected Jason Frankenstein-style, with a well-placed lightning bolt. Jason rises from his grave a bit rotten but stronger than ever, just in time for the re-opening of Camp Crystal Lake. As returning adversary Tommy Jarvis tries to stop Jason, McLoughlin treats the viewer to fun characters, humorous lines and situations, cool stunts, great cinematography, and a rock ‘n roll soundtrack. Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (which shows the title and subtitle the other way around in the title sequence, so it’s Jason Lives: Friday the 13th Part VI) pushes the comedy further than any of the previous movies, but it works because Jason himself (CJ Graham) is never the butt of the joke. McLoughlin found a way to bring fresh energy to the franchise while still keeping it in the woods.

5. FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 2 (1981)

Jason emerges as the main threat.

Friday the 13th Part 2 (not Part II, as they didn’t get fancy with the Roman numerals until later) is so good, it’s easy to overlook the fact that it’s built on a very odd decision: the one to make Jason Voorhees, the drowned child whose mother was out for vengeance in the first movie, the killer this time around. This isn’t the Jason who would become a pop culture icon. This is a backwoods fellow who wears a sack on his head (with Steve Dash being the man under the sack). But he’s also a terrifying killer who slashes his way through a new batch of counselors. Director Steve Miner did a great job of replicating the tone of the first movie, and the film features one of the best heroines in the franchise: child psychologist Ginny Fields, who comes up with a clever way of stopping Jason in his tracks.

6. FRIDAY THE 13TH PART VII: THE NEW BLOOD (1988)

Jason vs. telekinesis.

When Paramount couldn’t secure a deal with New Line Cinema to make Freddy vs. Jason, they shifted gears and made a sequel that is basically Jason vs. Carrie. You have the same set-up as The Final Chapter, partying youths in a house across from a family home, but this time the family home is occupied by a troubled girl with telekinetic abilities. Like Tommy in Jason Lives, that girl (named Tina) accidentally resurrects Jason, then has to deal with the consequences. And when it comes time for their showdown, Tina uses her telekinesis to dish out quite a beating to the hockey masked slasher. It’s pretty awesome. Kane Hodder made his Jason debut in this film, and director / FX artist John Carl Beuchler gave him a great rotten look.

7. FRIDAY THE 13TH: A NEW BEGINNING (1985)

A controversial detour.

After years of psychiatric treatments, Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter hero Tommy Jarvis arrives at Pinehurst Halfway House… and soon a killer in a hockey mask starts picking off the staff of the halfway house, the troubled youths staying there, and people in the surrounding area. The identity of the killer is meant to be a mystery, but it’s pretty hard to miss the clues. Directed by Danny Steinmann, A New Beginning has a bad reputation, but it’s still a lot of fun. Jason (Tom Morga and Johnny Hock) may only be present in Tommy’s hallucinations, but we still get a hockey masked killer who acts just like him. The characters are ridiculous, the movie is extremely sleazy, but that’s all just part of its charm.

8. FREDDY VS. JASON (2003)

A crossover spectacle.

After a long trip through development hell, Freddy vs. Jason finally reached theatres in 2003, with director Ronny Yu bringing the concept to the screen with great style. Robert Englund reprises the role of Nightmare on Elm Street franchise dream stalker Freddy Krueger, who uses the image of Mrs. Voorhees to encourage Jason Voorhees (Ken Kirzinger) to rise from Hell and head over to his old haunt of Elm Street to commit murder and stir up fear. Fear that will allow Freddy to return to the dreams of the Elm Street kids. But when Jason overstays his welcome and claims too many victims on Elm Street, the slashers clash. Fights take place in both the dream world and at Camp Crystal Lake, and the climactic battle is a glorious bloodbath.

9. FRIDAY THE 13TH (2009)

A modern reboot with mixed results.

Ideas from the first four Friday the 13th films were mixed together for this reboot, a collaboration between Paramount and New Line Cinema. Derek Mears plays a Jason Voorhees who is faster and more intense than ever before. He’s wearing a sack on his head when we first see him, and later in the film he acquires a hockey mask. The set-up is the same as we’ve seen multiple times: Jason slashes his way through a bunch of youths who are vacationing at a house near Crystal Lake. The movie also draws from the end of Part 2 for its most controversial element: when Jason crosses paths with a young woman who resembles his mother, he locks her up in his mine shaft lair instead of killing her. Some fans think it’s a logical extension of what we saw in Part 2, other fans hate it.

10. FRIDAY THE 13TH PART VIII: JASON TAKES MANHATTAN (1989)

A misleading title with ambitious ideas.

The Paramount era came to an end with Jason Takes Manhattan, which underwhelmed at the box office when movie-goers saw that it didn’t really deliver on the promise of the title. Jason (Kane Hodder) spends most of the film on a cruise ship that’s on its way to Manhattan, knocking off youths who are on board for a senior trip. When they do reach their destination, Manhattan is mostly played by Vancouver alleyways. But there is a great moment where we see Jason standing in the middle of Times Square. Part VIII also disappoints with a spacey heroine who’s always tripping, since director Rob Hedden wanted to work in some Elm Street-esque elements. The movie is fun, but you can see why Paramount gave up.

11. JASON GOES TO HELL: THE FINAL FRIDAY (1993)

A bizarre reinvention.

The franchise moved to New Line Cinema with this installment, and director Adam Marcus set out to deliver a film that would be very different from any of its predecessors. He certainly accomplished that. Jason Goes to Hell starts off with Jason Voorhees (Kane Hodder) being blasted to pieces by the FBI… then spends the rest of the movie possessing people, starting with the coroner who is compelled to eat his heart. Jason’s spirit moves from body to body as he seeks out family members we never heard of before, because this movie creates its own mythology. “Through a Voorhees was he born, through a Voorhees may he be reborn, and only by the hands of a Voorhees will he die.” How can he die? By being stabbed with a magic dagger that sends him straight to Hell.

12. JASON X (2002)

Jason… in space.

While Freddy vs. Jason was making its way through development hell, director James Isaac decided to make another Friday the 13th sequel – one that would be set in the future to avoid causing continuity issues with the Freddy crossover. So a frozen Jason (Kane Hodder) gets blasted into space in the year 2455, and once he thaws out it’s business as usual because the ship he’s on happens to be inhabited by a bunch of youngsters. Plus some Marines, but those aren’t a problem. The cyborg causes him more trouble, but once his body gets blasted apart he just gets a new one, thanks to nanotechnology. Jason is upgraded into Uber Jason! Jason X is extremely goofy, and highly entertaining when you’re in the mood for absurdity.

Obligatory Mention: SWEET REVENGE (2025)

Now that we’ve covered the feature films, we have to mention that writer/director Mike P. Nelson’s short film Sweet Revenge was released in 2025, giving us our first official piece of live-action Friday the 13th content in sixteen years. Building off the traditional “Jason kills people on a trip to the lake” set-up, Nelson drops some wild ideas into his 15 minute short, including a heroine that returns from the dead… for some reason. Please don’t tell me “cursed lake water” is resurrecting people, because I hate that idea and feel that it takes away something special from Jason. Whatever the case, the short has its moments and a cool kill involving a boat motor. Stuntman Schuyler White did a fine job as Jason for the most part, although he doesn’t quite have the right build for the character and former Jason performer Kane Hodder would not appreciate that he’s shown holding his machete in his left hand. The biggest issue is the mask. The rights holders, possibly for copyright reasons, have decided to redesign Jason’s iconic hockey mask, which always had 31 holes before and now only has 13 holes. That could work, but so far, there’s just something off about it. The size, the texture. It doesn’t look right. There are some shots of it that look okay, but there are also shots of it that look horrible. This thing needs some tweaks done to it before we see it again. Sweet Revenge is not the triumphant return fans have been waiting for, but it was a fun way to let people know that Jason Voorhees is making a comeback.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best Friday the 13th movie?
Friday the 13th Part III (1982) is our choice for the best the best due to its iconic introduction of the hockey mask and strong execution of the slasher formula.

How many Friday the 13th movies are there?
There are 12 films in the franchise, released between 1980 and 2009.

Which Friday the 13th movies feature Jason as the killer?
Jason appears as the primary killer in most of the sequels, beginning with Part 2.

What is the scariest Friday the 13th movie?
The original 1980 film is often considered the scariest due to its grounded tone and suspense.

The post Friday the 13th Movies Ranked: All 12 Films from Best to Worst appeared first on JoBlo.

Cody

The What Happened to This Horror Movie episode on The Wolfman (2010) was written by Jaime Vasquez:

Imagine spending 150 million dollars resurrecting one of the most iconic monsters in movie history… only for the entire production to spiral into chaos. Directors quitting just weeks before filming. Massive reshoots that delayed the movie for nearly two years. And when the film finally hit theaters, critics tore it apart and audiences stayed away. Yet somehow, this troubled production still featured an Oscar-winning makeup legend, an all-star cast, and one of the most ambitious attempts ever made to revive Universal’s classic monsters.

Released in 2010, The Wolfman was meant to revive Universal’s legendary monster franchise for a new generation. With an Oscar-winning cast, legendary makeup artist Rick Baker, and a massive production budget, it seemed to have all the ingredients for success.

So how did everything go so wrong? Why did critics tear it apart upon its release? Why did the original director exit the project just three weeks before filming began? And how did such an ambitious production end up earning a reputation as one of Universal’s biggest misfires?

Grab your silver bullets, we’re heading to 1890s London to find out what happened to The Wolfman (2010).

The Writers Behind The Wolfman

Andrew Kevin Walker was already well acquainted with weird and psychological horror long before working on today’s subject. One of his first major projects to hit the big screen was the eerie and gruesome 1995 David Fincher hit Seven. He continued gravitating toward dark material, writing films like 8MM and Sleepy Hollow. With a résumé like that, Walker had cemented himself as the go-to guy for bleak, twisted stories that could still play to mainstream audiences.

And The Wolfman wasn’t co-writer David Self’s first brush with horror remakes. Self made his debut with the 1999 remake of The Haunting before writing the Tom Hanks crime drama Road to Perdition.

With Walker and Self on board, the script for The Wolfman seemed to be in good hands.

Of course, it helps having inspiration like the original The Wolf Man from 1941. Written by Curt Siodmak and directed by George Waggner, the film became a key part of Universal’s legendary monster lineup, spawning four sequels and cementing Larry Talbot as one of horror’s most enduring monsters.

Benicio Del Toro had long been a fan of the classic Universal monster, collecting memorabilia from the 1941 classic and even lending his voice to the Wolfman in the 2008 video game adaptation.

Mark Romanek’s Exit and Universal’s Creative Clash

Del Toro and his manager Rick Yorn soon pitched a new take on The Wolf Man to Universal. In March of 2006, the studio officially announced the film. Nearly a year later, music video and film director Mark Romanek signed on to helm the project. But Romanek’s vision for the film would eventually clash with the studio. The director pictured a darker, more psychological, less family-friendly take on the classic story, while Universal was pushing for something that could appeal to a broader audience.

The writers’ strike further complicated things, preventing Romanek from making the script changes he wanted. The director also felt the planned 80-day shooting schedule would be too difficult to pull off.

Despite the mounting challenges, Romanek was determined to stick with the film as long as he could. But that changed just three weeks before principal photography was set to begin, when the filmmaker stepped away from the project, saying the studio would be better served by a director more in line with their vision. According to Romanek, the studio didn’t push back and accepted his resignation.

After he stepped aside, several directors were reportedly considered to take his place, including Frank Darabont, James Mangold, Brett Ratner, and Martin Campbell.

Joe Johnston Takes Over the Film

Ultimately, the studio turned to a veteran filmmaker with plenty of experience handling large-scale productions. That director was The Rocketeer and Jurassic Park III filmmaker Joe Johnston.

According to Sir Anthony Hopkins, Johnston was one of the best directors he had ever worked with, even describing his work on the film as impeccable. But Johnston himself has been far less enthusiastic about the experience, admitting that taking the job was the only time he ever let money be the deciding factor in accepting a project, a decision he later said he regretted.

Looking back, Johnston bluntly described the production as “a leaky, rudderless ship in a perfect storm.”

Happily stepping into the role of Lawrence Talbot, and of course the Wolfman himself, was Benicio Del Toro. As the troubled prodigal son returning home after the mysterious death of his brother, Del Toro brings his signature quiet intensity to the character, grounding the gothic story in a deeply human performance. He also drew inspiration from Lon Chaney Jr.’s original portrayal.

Del Toro remained attached to the project from early development through its release, making The Wolfman a clear passion project for the Oscar-winning actor.

Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt, and Hugo Weaving Join the Cast

Another Oscar winner in the cast is Sir Anthony Hopkins, who plays Lawrence’s father, Sir John Talbot. Hopkins brings his usual commanding presence to the role, portraying the aristocratic patriarch with a calm authority that hints at darker secrets beneath the surface. Hopkins was initially skeptical about taking the part, but that changed when he learned that legendary makeup artist Rick Baker would be involved. With Baker on board, Hopkins enthusiastically joined the project.

Emily Blunt plays Gwen Conliffe, the grieving fiancée caught between tragedy and the dark presence surrounding Lawrence Talbot. Blunt avoids melodrama and gives the film much of its emotional anchor. In several scenes, both she and Del Toro deliberately scaled back the dialogue, letting quiet expressions carry the moment.

Rounding out the main cast is Hugo Weaving as Inspector Francis Aberline, the determined investigator trying to uncover the truth behind the town’s brutal killings. The character is loosely inspired by Frederick Abberline, the real-life chief inspector with London’s Metropolitan Police who famously investigated the Jack the Ripper murders in 1888. Weaving brings a sharp intensity to the role, and even though he’s technically hunting our main character, he still comes off as someone the audience can’t help rooting for.

Rick Baker’s Oscar-Winning Makeup Effects

Visual effects supervisor Steven Begg said the team wanted the transformation scenes to feel grounded and realistic, making the moments of mutation hit harder. Visual effects producer Karen Murphy said the team studied reference photos, built early 3D models, and experimented with different variations of the creature before scanning the practical designs to convert them digitally. Then visual effects company MPC was brought in to enhance details like growing hair and other subtle transformations.

A major part of the film’s realism came from its practical makeup effects, overseen by Academy Award-winning artist Rick Baker. Baker first heard about the project while working on another film and decided to walk across the Universal Studios lot to ask a producer if he could get involved, something he admitted he rarely does. His love for the original Wolf Man convinced him to take the initiative, and producer Scott Stuber said the team was thrilled to bring him on board.

Baker agreed with Benicio Del Toro that their version of the creature should pay tribute to Jack Pierce’s iconic 1941 design while also making the Wolfman appear more dangerous with sharper claws and larger teeth. Baker produced hundreds of concept designs before ultimately settling on one of his very first sketches.

Transforming Del Toro into the Wolfman required about four hours to apply the prosthetics and another two to remove them, a process Del Toro later described as a workout. Additional makeup work came from artist Dave Elsey, who designed the Wolfman’s long claws, eventually making them even larger than Rick Baker had planned. The exaggerated length proved popular on set, though the claws were later softened to prevent Del Toro from injuring himself during filming. The teeth, however, remained sharp, and Del Toro even managed to accidentally bite Anthony Hopkins during one scene.

For the Wolfman’s hair, Baker used crepe wool, while Creature Fabrication supervisor Lou Elsey oversaw the body suits. Several versions were created to give Del Toro a more muscular build, using spandex suits covered in yak hair to achieve the Wolfman’s shaggy appearance.

Del Toro also suggested making certain body parts edible so he could convincingly devour them on camera. Special effects artists created bones from honeycomb, marrow from a jelly-like substance, and muscles from licorice, snacks Del Toro reportedly had no problem eating during filming.

Building Victorian London for The Wolfman

While the original film was set in the present day, the 2010 version moves the story back to 1890, creating a foggy, gaslamp-lit London reminiscent of classic horror films. To bring that Victorian world to life, the production traveled to England.

Academy Award-winning production designer Rick Heinrichs emphasized the importance of finding the right location for the Talbot family manor. After scouting across the country, the crew chose Chatsworth House in Derbyshire, the historic estate of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire. Rather than a gothic castle, the property offered a stately home the filmmakers could reshape for the story, even altering parts of the grounds to create a colder, more desolate look.

The crew also discovered the village of Castle Combe, which doubled as the town of Blackmoor, where much of the story takes place. For the asylum scenes, the production used the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, which was ideal for staging large action sequences.

Visual effects artists helped complete the Victorian illusion by digitally removing modern elements and adding sweeping views of London.

For more physical scenes, stunt performers were suspended by cables to achieve the creature’s movements. Computer-generated effects were also used for smaller details, like the Wolfman’s toes gripping the ground after landing.

Still, much of the creature’s presence came down to Del Toro’s performance. His habit of violently shaking his head during attack scenes often disrupted the makeup after only a few takes.

Director Joe Johnston later noted that Del Toro brought a subtle nuance to the role, gradually portraying the character’s descent into madness as the story progressed.

The Massive Reshoots and Delays

Just when everything seemed on track for a November 2008 release, The Wolfman underwent six weeks of reshoots. Some scenes featuring Benicio Del Toro fully transformed as the Wolfman reportedly didn’t look quite right, particularly shots of the creature walking upright, which looked awkward. The scenes were reshot with the Wolfman moving on all fours instead.

The additional filming also included two major sequences: a large action scene featuring the Wolfman rampaging through London and a less ambiguous ending to the story.

Director Joe Johnston explained that those moments had originally been removed from the script due to budget concerns, but once the film was assembled without them, it became apparent that the scenes were necessary.

While Del Toro and Emily Blunt were able to return for the reshoots, Anthony Hopkins was unable to travel back to the UK and instead filmed his additional material in the United States, which explains his hairstyle change midway through the film.

The reshoots pushed the film’s release back to November 2009. According to producer Scott Stuber, the studio also wanted to avoid opening the movie against major releases that weekend, like The Twilight Saga: New Moon and 2012.

By this point, the film’s production budget had ballooned from an initial $85 million to roughly $150 million.

Danny Elfman’s Musical Score

Amid the delays and reshoots, the film’s musical score also briefly found itself in limbo. Danny Elfman had originally composed the music, drawing inspiration from Wojciech Kilar’s score for Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

At one point, however, Elfman’s work was reportedly considered tonally out of step with the evolving cut of the film, and composer Paul Haslinger was nearly brought in as a replacement.

In the end, the filmmakers chose to keep Elfman’s original score, which ultimately fit the film’s gothic tone.

Box Office Failure and Critical Reception

The Wolfman finally premiered in theaters on February 12, 2010. The film opened at number two at the box office, finishing behind the romantic comedy Valentine’s Day. Rick Baker later criticized the decision to release the film in February, pointing out that a romantic comedy titled Valentine’s Day was almost guaranteed to dominate the holiday weekend. Baker believed the film would have performed much better with a Halloween season release.

The film opened to a modest $31 million during its first weekend. However, poor critical reception and weak word of mouth quickly took their toll, with the film dropping a steep 68% in its second weekend. The film ultimately earned about $62 million domestically and $78 million overseas, for a worldwide total of roughly $140 million.

Considering its $150 million production budget, the film was ultimately viewed as a box office disappointment.

Critics were similarly lukewarm toward the film. It currently holds a 32% score on Rotten Tomatoes, along with a nearly identical 33% audience score, and a 5.9 out of 10 rating on IMDb. Many reviewers criticized the film’s uneven tone and felt it ultimately lacked the impact expected from a modern horror movie.

However, there was still plenty of praise for Benicio Del Toro’s tragic performance, as well as Rick Baker’s impressive practical makeup effects.

Those incredible makeup effects earned Rick Baker, along with Dave and Lou Elsey, the Academy Award for Best Makeup at the 2011 Oscars. It also marked Baker’s second Oscar win for a werewolf film, the first being 1981’s An American Werewolf in London, a movie that helped inspire his work on The Wolfman.

The Unrated Director’s Cut and Alternate Endings

The film’s Unrated Director’s Cut includes several scenes not present in the theatrical version. Among the smaller additions is the use of the classic 1940s Universal logo at the beginning of the film, a nod to the original The Wolf Man.

Ben Talbot’s death scene is extended, and a new sequence shows Lawrence performing in a London stage play.

The most notable additions are alternate endings. In one version, the Wolfman bites Gwen before being shot by the hunting party. She later awakens and looks up at the moon, implying that she may now have transformed into a werewolf herself. Another ending follows a similar structure but cuts off shortly after Gwen is bitten, leaving her fate ambiguous.

The film was clearly set up for a sequel, but after its disappointing reception those plans never moved forward.

Years later, director Leigh Whannell offered his own take on the character with Wolf Man, released in January 2025. That film also received lukewarm reviews and underperformed at the box office, though not quite to the spectacular degree of the 2010 version.

Legacy and Cult Following

The Wolfman developed a rough reputation due to its troubled production, delays, and disappointing reception. Even then-Universal Studios president Ronald Meyer famously referred to the film as “crappy,” calling it “one of the worst movies we ever made.”

Yet with time, the film has begun to age far better than expected. Today, The Wolfman has developed something of a cult following, with many viewers reconsidering it as a film that may have been judged too harshly.

Between strong performances from Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt, and Hugo Weaving, Rick Baker’s Oscar-winning practical effects, and its richly gothic atmosphere, the film still has plenty to offer horror fans. And that, my friends, is what happened to The Wolfman.

A couple of previous episodes of this show can be seen below. For more, check out the JoBlo Horror Originals YouTube channel—and don’t forget to subscribe!

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