New Film The Wolfman to be Released Feb. 2010

Benicio Del Toro and Anthony Hopkins Star in Remake of 1941 Film

Sep 5, 2009

The new Wolfman film by Universal Studios was inspired by a previous film about a man with a werewolf curse.

The film-going future remains bright for fans of vampire and werewolf films. Twilight, which has a combination of both vampires and werewolves has done well at the box office, with several sequels planned. And the new remake of Dark Shadows starring Johnny Depp as Barnabas Collins is in the works. Now, the werewolf gets his due in this new remake of an old classic - The Wolfman.

The Wolfman Storyline

Benicio del Toro plays Lawrence Talbot,a man who returns to his family’s Victorian estate to search for his long- missing brother. Once there, he discovers that some strange creature has been terrorizing the village of Blackmoor. A Scotland Yard inspector named Aberline, played by Hugo Weaving, has been put on the case. In an attempt to protect the woman he loves, Talbot sets out to destroy the beast. In the heart of the forest, he comes face to face with his own frightening destiny when he is bitten by a werewolf, and the curse passed on to him.

The Cast

Among the cast are two Oscar winners, Benicio Del Toro, and veteran actor Anthony Hopkins. Del Toro stars as Lawrence Talbot, and Hopkins plays his estranged father. Emily Blunt plays the fiancé of Talbot’s vanished brother, and Hugo Weaving the inspector. Gene Simmons of Kiss rock star fame will be the voice of The Wolfman.

The Wolf Man 1941

The Wolf Man was preceded by the 1935 Werewolf of London starring Henry Hull, also from Universal. However, The Wolf Man was a larger box office success, and thus became the better known of the two older films.

The original classic film, The Wolf Man, also by Universal Studios, had the same basic storyline and brooding, Gothic atmosphere of mist-enshrouded woods, castles, and Victorian gloom. Larry falls in love with local antique store owner Gwen Conliffe, and purchases from her a silver walking stick in the shape of a wolf. Shortly after, he attempts to protect her friend Jenny from a vicious wolf attack. He kills the beast with his walking stick, but in the process is bitten by the creature, and acquires the werewolf curse.

The original film had a strong influence on future werewolf films. It contained images often associated with later werewolf movies, such as the werewolf being affected by silver, the werewolf being marked by the pentagram symbol, and the transformation from man to werewolf under a full moon. Many of these concepts are believed to be part of traditional werewolf folklore, but were actually created specifically for the film. Interestingly, The Wolf Man was not created from a novel or any specific literary source.

In this particular movie, the werewolf is not transformed at every full moon, but in certain seasons when the wolfbane blooms. In later films, the legend gradually took on the idea of a monthly transformation, but the idea got its roots from this film.

The Cast of The Wolf Man 1941

The original film had a top-notch cast of well-known actors. The great horror actor Lon Chaney played the part of Larry Talbot. He gave deep dimensions to the role of a man tormented by the werewolf curse. Claude Rains played the father, and Evelyn Ankers played the brother’s fiancé, who becomes Larry’s love interest. Bela Lugosi , best known for his portrayal of Dracula, played the role Bela, a gypsy afflicted by the werewolf curse.

Changes from the Original Film

Besides the slight title change from The Wolf Man to The Wolfman (from two words to one) the new version will stay close to the original storyline. The names of the main characters remain the same, but the name of the setting has been changed from Welch village of Llanwelly to the English village of Blackmore. In the original, Talbot returns after the death of his brother; in the remake his brother has not died, but disappeared. Despite several changes, the basic story of a man afflicted by a werewolf curse remains the same. Because of advanced technology, the transformation and realistic appearance of the werewolf should be much improved, and should be worth seeing.

Interesting fact: The Wolf Man was played by Lon Chaney in all of the 1940 sequels

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