Werewolf News

Watchmen Co-Writer to Produce Werewolf Film Slaughter Road

ArcLight alerted me to this Variety article announcing that Watchmen co-writer David Hayter has created a new production company called Dark Hero Studios, and that among its first projects is a werewolf movie entitled Slaughter Road.

Hayter said he hatched “Slaughter’s Road” after he was offered a slew of werewolf movies and found enough flaws in each to never want to make such a pic; genre-savvy friends changed his mind.

Work on Slaughter Road is set to begin this summer. ArcLight comments: “I like the idea that there are a slew of werewolf movies out there looking to get made.” I agree! Hopefully some of the better ones get picked up.

Angela Quinton Mar. 18th 2009

Paul Naschy and Fangoria Team Up for Werewolf Graphic Novels

Fangoria Graphix is releasing Werewolf, a series of graphic novels based on Paul Naschy‘s Hombre Lobo film series. Naschy’s writing, and Javier Trujillo will be creating fully painted art for each volume. Three volumes have been planned: The Return of the Werewolf, The Origin of the Curse and The Silver Katana. Werewolf will be available in both English and Spanish language editions. No release date has been announced.

Angela Quinton Mar. 18th 2009

ZBrush Wolfman Speed-Sculpt

Daniel Lamontagne sent in this video of a 5-minute speed-sculpture he did of a werewolf, using ZBrush (which you might remember as Rick Baker’s weapon of choice for The Wolfman concept art). It’s rather amazing to watch how a few simple shapes can be poked, prodded and massaged into a detailed 3D model in less time than it takes for my tea to steep. Nice work, Daniel!

Angela Quinton Mar. 11th 2009

Test Screening of “The Wolfman” Gets Positive Reviews

Ain’t It Cool News has posted three reviews from people who attended a test screening of The Wolfman in New Mexico last week, and the reviews are largely positive. Some excerpts:

…even in its pretty unfinished state tonight, this movie was satisfying and scary and has huge potential if they address a few things…

…Obviously, I quite liked this film. Perhaps they could tighten it here and there (I think it ran like 1 hour 50 mins) but I was surprised at its ‘brain over braun’ approach and really hope that it finds its deserved audience this coming Summer.

…it is with great pleasure that I send this review of what I thought was a high minded, tremendous and incredibly SCARY work to you tonight.

Sounds promising! You can read three reviews (warning – spoilers!) here.

Angela Quinton Mar. 9th 2009

“The Victim” by Viktor Titov

[click for full version]

Viktor Titov (known as Hamsterfly on DeviantArt) was commissioned to create this piece as a cover for the Russian version of Daemon Summoner. Viktor has provided us with four extremely unpleasant-looking werewolves and a woman who probably wishes she had brought a shotgun on her evening stroll. I particularly like the monstery way the werewolves have been rendered… there’s nothing cuddly or Twilight-dreamy about these guys. Well done Viktor!

Angela Quinton Mar. 6th 2009

1492 Entertainment Acquires Film Rights to “Welcome to Hoxford”

According to Variety, Chris Columbus’ 1492 Entertainment has picked up the film rights to Ben Templesmith’s werewolves-in-a-mental-institute graphic novel “Welcome to Hoxford“. Columbus will produce the adaptation along with 1492 partners Michael Barnathan and Mark Radcliffe.

I’m trying to imagine what a film version of Hoxford’s visual would look like, and I’m failing. Perhaps they could get David Fincher to direct and Darius Khondji to handle the photography– they created a similarly grungy, visceral world in Se7en.

Angela Quinton Mar. 5th 2009

Harry Potter Fans: Wield Your Werewolf Wisdom and Win a Wand

The Leaky Cauldron.org has been one of the premiere Harry Potter fansite for ages, and they’ve just announced their March contest: Top Ten Ways to Spot a Werewolf. Entries should be “entertaining and without an iota of seriousness or factuality”, and winners (you can enter alone or with a friend) will receive a wand from Wizard Wood Wands. If you’re a creative Harry Potter fan who knows a thing or two about werewolves, submit your entry before 11:59pm EST on March 22nd for your chance to win. Visit the contest page for submission instructions and contest rules.

Angela Quinton Mar. 1st 2009

“Werewolf in London” by gothic180

[click for full version]

According to gothic180, this puzzled rendition of David (yes, the American Werewolf in London has a name) was inspired by Last Exit to Nowhere’s Slaughtered Lamb t-shirt. This is a shirt that I like (I’ve even mentioned it before). and while David seems confused about wearing it, you have to admit that he wears it well.

Angela Quinton Feb. 27th 2009

Rick Baker’s Transformation Concept Art for The Wolfman

In the past, special effects legend Rick Baker has expressed a cetain reluctance about the use of computer-generated creature effects in film. Apparently this hasn’t stopped Rick from messing around with ZBrush, and he’s been sharing his progress and experiments over at the ZBrushCentral forum. Starting two weeks ago, he started posting concept art for The Wolfman. Judging from some of his back posts, these are probably proofs-of-concept instead of anything official, but it’s really exciting to see the different stages of the creative process getting posted to a forum by the artist. Amazing stuff!

Angela Quinton Feb. 27th 2009

Dylan Dog and Groucho Headed for the Big Screen

According to The Hollywood Reporter, production of the werewolf / vampire / zombie film Dead of Night starts today in New Orleans. The makeup effects are being handled by Greg Cannom and DRAC Studios, and if those names ring a bell, it’s probably because they just took home the makeup Oscar for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and they’re doing work on the forthcoming graphic novel blockbuster Watchmen.

Dead of Night is an adaptation of Tiziano Sclavi’s Dylan Dog, an Italian horror comic from 1986. According to Wikipedia,

Dylan Dog is a penniless nightmare investigator who defies the whole preceding horror tradition with a vein of surrealism and an anti-bourgeois rhetoric… Dylan lives with Groucho at 7 Craven Road in a cluttered apartment with a doorbell that screams. His hobbies include playing the clarinet and constructing model ship; he has many phobias, including claustrophobia, bats and heights. Dylan is also particularly susceptible to motion sickness, which is one of the reasons why he rarely travels.

Seems like a lot of dark humour is involved… let’s hope this one survives the transition to the big screen!

Angela Quinton Feb. 26th 2009