Benecio Del Toro as The Wolfman...Universal 2008

[Anton Phibes]

Benecio Del Toro is a good actor, but I really do not know about the recent announcement of a 2008 Summer release of the remake of "The Wolfman" by Universal. What made the Wolfman a classic was the great acting, atmosphere, and terrific make up. Acting plays a secondary role to special effect in this day in age (with LOTR being the most notable exception to this rule as those actors were really good), atmosphere is almost entirely done away with in favor of "on location" shooting and generated backgrounds, and make up is almost a "non heard of" these days in favor of CGI. What does anyone else who is a Universal fan think? Use the "Mummy", "Mummy Returns" remakes and "Van Helsing" as the template from which you will prognosticate. I don't dislike the new Mummy films or Van Helsing...but I really feel that they missed their mark. They were ok for what they are. But what they are is not "how it was". Whaddaya think fellow monster fans?

 

[Ironman1188]

I think somebody owes the Chaney family an apology.

 

[TheObsoleteMan]

Personally, I wouldn't call Lon Chaney Jr.'s acting in The Wolfman "great."

I hope they stick with practical makeup effects for the werewolf. Why bother getting an actor of Del Toro's caliber if you're just gonna replace him with a cartoon?

 

[Darklord Dave]

Well, he's still called the WolfMAN, so I doubt it will be as drastic a transform as American Werewolf, although we could see something like Underwolf Lycans. I'm all for remaking dated, tired old monster movies with state of the art digital effects. It takes nothing away from the originals and perhaps will cause new fans to seek out the classic films.

 

[Batty]

I can't wait to see Del Toro as the Wolfman. I can definitely see him in the part. Check out his amazing performance in The Pledge.

As far a special effects go, I don't care as long as they're done well. I think Rick Bakers effects for American Werewolf from 25 years ago are still really impressive today.

 

[Ironman1188]

Why bother getting an actor of Del Toro's caliber if you're just gonna replace him with a cartoon?

His caliber of acting is exactly why I'd replace him with a cartoon.

 

[EVILFACE]

Benecio Del Toro is a good choice.

 

[gdb]

If either the writer or director is as talented as Del Toro, then I will be looking forward to this.


Ug... anyone remember Jack Nicholson as a werewolf? What was that about?

 

[EVILFACE]

Wolf was ok, but it was Jack playing Jack. Kinda like how Jack was playing Jack when he was supposed to be the Joker.

 

[Anton Phibes]

Personally, I wouldn't call Lon Chaney Jr.'s acting in The Wolfman "great."
I hope they stick with practical makeup effects for the werewolf. Why bother getting an actor of Del Toro's caliber if you're just gonna replace him with a cartoon?

Well, you are in the minority there. Lon Chaney Jr. MADE the Wolfman role. The majority of the fans will agree. You didn't even bother to mention Claude Rains or Maria Ouspenskaya...I suppose their acting wasn't what you would call "great" either. Unfortunately this is how most people in this day and age feel. Nevertheless, there would be no Universal Studios today if not for Jack Pierce's Monsters and the classic men and women who made those films. Those films saved Universal from bankruptcy many times.
I hope they stick with practical make ups as well...but for an entirely different reason. I am tired of all of the "state of the art" special effects that are used to "replace tired old Monsters" as another Sideshow Freak suggested in this thread. The CGI serves a purpose, but it has become something that films have come to rely on to carry a picture. Instead of relying on actors that some hold in very high regard, that others find obsolete or "not so great".

 

[Bonehead15]

I'm all for remaking dated, tired old monster movies with state of the art digital effects.

I can't believe you just said that!!

There's nothing "tired" about The Wolfman.

It's still as good today as it was back in 1941.

 

[Anton Phibes]

I feel the same way you do on this subject, Bonehead.

 

[tomandshell]

I can't wait to see Del Toro as the Wolfman.

I just hope that we do actually get to see Del Toro as the Wolfman. I have a feeling that it will be like Hulk--the actor plays the human version, but has nothing at all to do with the monster/creature version. I don't want to see Benicio completely replaced by a CGI thingy during all of the cool scenes. You need enough of the actor to show through the makeup for the effect to be as unsettling as it should be.

 

[chamildav]

I agree that Chaney Jr's performance in "The Wolfman" was probably the best of his career. Very sympathetic portrayal of a serial murderer unable to control his impulse to kill. But I think Del Toro is a very capable actor and will do fine in this role if the script and direction is there. He actually looks a little Like Lon Sr. to me, not that looks has much to do with his acting.
As terrible as the performances were by the principals in "Van Helsing" all the actors were perfectly capable. The direction was horrible and the story worse than horrible making for a less enjoyable experience than I'd hoped for. And I loved "The Mummy" remake and liked the sequal. Horror genre pictures can be pretty delicate when your trying to update them for a modern audience. I think "The Wolfman" is one that should translate pretty well to the 21st Century. I look forward to seeing it.

 

[TheObsoleteMan]

Well, you are in the minority there. Lon Chaney Jr. MADE the Wolfman role. The majority of the fans will agree. You didn't even bother to mention Claude Rains or Maria Ouspenskaya...I suppose their acting wasn't what you would call "great" either. Unfortunately this is how most people in this day and age feel. Nevertheless, there would be no Universal Studios today if not for Jack Pierce's Monsters and the classic men and women who made those films. Those films saved Universal from bankruptcy many times.

Claude Rains and Maria Ouspenskaya both gave fine performances, as did Bela Lugosi in his brief time onscreen, but I think Lon Chaney Jr.'s performance was hokey.

 

[Gruff Old Bear]

According to Daily Variety:

U sinking teeth into 'Wolf' redo
Del Toro is the 'Man'

By MICHAEL FLEMING

Universal Pictures will scare up a new version of its horror classic "The Wolf Man," with Benicio Del Toro playing the title role.

"Se7en" scribe Andrew Kevin Walker has begun writing the script. Scott Stuber, Rick Yorn, Mary Parent and Del Toro will produce.

The studio owned the underlying rights to the character.

Like the 1941 original that starred Lon Chaney Jr., new pic will be set in Victorian England. Del Toro will play a man who returns from America to his ancestral homeland, gets bitten by a werewolf and begins a hairy moonlight existence.

Deal came out of a series of meetings with the producers, Walker and Del Toro, who collects Wolf Man memorabilia.

Walker spent several months working on some frightening new twists to a familiar tale, adding several characters and plot points that take advantage of cutting-edge visual effects technology.

Walker will turn in his first draft by the spring, and the producers and studio are optimistic that "The Wolf Man" will shoot early in 2007, after Del Toro completes "Guerrilla," the Che Guevara film being directed by Steven Soderbergh.

The expectation is that "The Wolf Man" will be a summer 2008 tentpole.

The pic will be supervised by production president Donna Langley and exec veep Peter Cramer.

Everybody feeling better now?

 

[TheObsoleteMan]

Everybody feeling better now?

Not if "adding several characters and plot points that take advantage of cutting-edge visual effects technology" = cartoon werewolves. I'm not a cgi hater, but for werewolves it's just not as creepy to me as practical makeup effects.

 

[elwood49]

I can't believe you just said that!!

There's nothing "tired" about The Wolfman.

It's still as good today as it was back in 1941.

I can't belive you said that either. CGI has really taken all of the "magic" and "how'd they do that" out of the movies. When used effectively (Jurassic Park, LOTR) it is a tremendous tool. When used as a crutch, it frequently stifles creativity.

I'll always prefer the original Kong over the 2005 version and the original Star Wars over the prequels. The 1970's were the last "golden age" of Hollywood for me personally. The Godfather I & II, Jaws, Star Wars, Alien, Apocalypse Now, A Clockwork Orange, Chinatown, Nashville, and countless others from my all time favorites came out of that period.

I would also include the early 80's with The Empire Strikes Back, Raging Bull, E.T., Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Blade Runner just to name a few. Movies have REALLY gone downhill from that time, IMO. There are many reasons for that, but CGI does play a part in some cases.

BTW, I actually think Del Toro is an excellent actor and will make a good Wolf Man.

 

[Zombiphobia]

There is no such thing as a tired universal monster.....Adding color and digital effects must be done very carefully ..otherwise it might as well be a cartoon.

 

[Darklord Dave]

Del Toro as a Victorian Englishman? Okay, I'm all on the "haters" bandwagon now...