As previously mentioned on Werewolf News, Universal has decided to reboot/refresh/rehash the lycanthropic segment of their monster movie franchise with a brand new direct-to-disc werewolf movie.
Yesterday, Collider got first dibs on the PR package, which includes promotional stills, a trailer, Blu-ray features – and a release date. You’ll be able to buy Werewolf: The Beast Among Us on October 9th, 2012. Here’s the trailer and synopsis, to help with your purchase decision.
A monstrous creature terrorizes a 19th Century European village by moonlight and a young man struggles to protect his loved ones from an unspeakable scourge in Werewolf: The Beast Among Us, Universal Studios’ all-new addition to its time-honored legacy of classic monsters. During his studies with the local doctor (Stephen Rea), Daniel (Guy Wilson) witnesses the horrific consequences of werewolf attacks. Watching as the beast’s fearsome reputation draws bounty hunters, thrill seekers and charlatans to the tiny town, Daniel dreams of destroying the ruthless predator. So when a mysterious stranger (Ed Quinn) and his team of skilled werewolf hunters (Stephen Bauer, Adam Croasdell) arrive to pursue the monster, he offers to join them, despite his mother’s (Nia Peeples) protests. But it soon becomes clear that this creature is stronger, smarter and more dangerous than anything they have faced before. As casualties mount and villagers see their neighbors transformed into ravening monsters, the townsfolk take up arms against each other to find the true identity of the werewolf. Amid the hysteria, Daniel begins to suspect he’s closer to his target than he ever dreamed.
I’m trying to picture myself enjoying this, and in order to make it happen I have to set the film up as an exquisitely self-aware and dark, dark comedy. This doesn’t sound much like the film I was imaging when I was daydreaming about what Universal could do with a direct-to-home feature:
Universal can make this Wolfman re-imagining as dark, gory, twisted and otherwise stylistically radical as the material warrants without having to worry about what mainstream reviewers, audiences or Cate Blanchett think.
I will reserve judgement until I’ve seen it, though – I’ve put my foot in my mouth too many times to go off on a tear based on some marketdroid’s “fit the whole cast in” synopsis.
There’s one disc extra in particular that I’m interested in seeing, a la Underworld Awakening‘s Building a Better Lycan feature:
“Transformation: Man To Beast” – Revealing behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with director Louis Morneau, producer Mike Elliott, production designer David Hirschfield and makeup SFX designer Paul Hyatt show viewers how the monster in Werewolf: The Beast Among Us was brought to life using a mix of computer-generated graphics and practical makeup.
Here’s hoping they used more practical makeup than CG! For a full listing of disc features and extras, and to see a selection of werewolfless promotional stills, visit the Collider article. And keep your fingers crossed for something dark, gory and twisted.