After two years of speculation, it was confirmed last autumn that Derek Cianfrance will film and write Universal’s next big monster movie, which would feature Ryan Gosling as the Wolfman. Gosling and Cianfrance have already cooperated on two films, Blue Valentine and The Place Beyond the Pines, so this isn’t their first time working together. Steve Weintraub asked Gosling about his enthusiasm about working with him again on Wolfman during an interview with The Gray Man. With Derek, I’d do anything. But the notion of doing anything like that is exhilarating.
It’s a new experience for both of us, yet it reminds me of a movie we’ve already produced a few times, only this time it’s actual. In the past, we’ve built a metaphorical representation of it, but now we have the chance to construct a physical representation of what we’ve been working on. Lon Chaney Jr. played Universal’s original Wolf Man in five films in the 1940s as Larry Talbot, a man who undergoes a transformation into a werewolf. In a statement, Gosling said that playing the role has been “on a goal list” for him since he was a child: “He’s simply an all-time character, [he has] just been on my bucket list.” Cory Finley, Leigh Whannell, and others have been associated with the project when it was first revealed, but Cianfrance is the best fit for this project.
Because of his previous work producing films like The Sound of Metal, which was nominated for an Academy Award, and his relationship with actor Ryan Gosling as a director, he is an excellent choice for this project. The narrative of Cianfrance’s version of the Wolfman is currently shrouded in mystery. After Universal’s flop with The Mummy, the studio rethought its ideas for a linked cinematic universe, allowing for more creative flexibility for its intended slate of monster pictures. Like the Benicio Del Toro-led The Wolfman, which debuted over a decade ago, it’s feasible that Cianfrance’s script will be a modern version of the Wolf Man.
On July 15, The Gray Man will open in cinemas and be available on Netflix.