Ryan Gosling's Wolfman Movie Taps Place Behind The Pines Director
Universal Pictures' remake of The Wolfman, starring Ryan Gosling, has secured the director of The Place Beyond the Pines. Ryan Gosling signed on to The Wolfman in 2020 after he reportedly pitched a new take on the material to Universal Pictures. The film was given the greenlight, and renowned horror producer Jason Blum and his production company Blumhouse Pictures signed on to the project.
The film was initially announced to be directed by Leigh Whannell, who had just recently reinvented another classic Universal Monster in the 2020 film, The Invisible Man, one of the last box office's successes before the COVID-19 pandemic shut theaters down. Given Whannell's experience reinventing The Invisible Man, it made a certain amount of sense to pair him with The Wolfman, similar to the original Universal Monster films where James Whales directed Frankenstein, The Bride of Frankenstein, and the original The Invisible Man. It was recently reported that the script for The Wolfman was being worked on to make sure it is suitable for star Ryan Gosling who has a lot invested in the property.
According to Deadline, Derek Cianfrance has signed on to helm the Ryan Gosling-led Wolfman film. Leigh Whannell dropped out of the project due to scheduling issues. Gosling reportedly approached Cianfrance about directing the project after Whannell dropped out, and Cianfrance will now pen the script. Cianfrance said regarding the film:
“Horror movies were my first love — my entry into what cinema was capable of narratively, psychologically and aesthetically. Coupled with the opportunity to collaborate with Ryan again, this is truly a dream come true. I’m thrilled and inspired to work with the good folks at Blumhouse and Universal to bring this monster back to life in our collective unconscious”
This will mark Gosling's and Cianfrance's third collaboration, as the actor starred in the director's 2010 film Blue Valentine and 2012's The Place Beyond the Pines. Cianfrance's last directorial film with 2016's The Light Between Oceans starring Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander, but he was recently nominated for Best Original Screenplay at the Academy Awards for his work on The Sound of Metal. He also recently wrote and directed the 6 episode miniseries I Know This Much is True for HBO, for which Mark Ruffalo won a Golden Globe.
While Cianfrance's may not be known for helming tentpole or IP-driven films, it is another indicator of how Universal Pictures has adjusted their strategy with their classic monsters in the wake of The Mummy in 2017. Chloé Zhao will helm a sci-fi western Dracula film, while James Wan is working on a new adaptation of Frankenstein. The studio is going for directors with solid visions and focused on taking these classic movie monsters in ways they don't expect. The Wolfman has gained traction fast and, at this rate, could begin production sooner than expected and could be the perfect follow-up to The Invisible Man as a new era for the Universal Monsters.
Source: Deadline