The Howling Sequels: How a Cult Classic Became a Disconnected Franchise

When An American Werewolf in London and The Howling battled for special effects supremacy and horror fan affection in 1981 (sorry, Wolfen), they took very different paths afterward. While An American Werewolf in London would eventually receive only one sequel (An American Werewolf in Paris) and take 16 years to get there, The Howling somehow spawned seven sequels over roughly two decades.

So what happened? When did the series lose its way? What did the original author think of the adaptations? And how many remake attempts have already been made? Let’s dig into the messy productions and even messier sequels of The Howling franchise.

Where It All Began: Gary Brandner’s Original Novel

Before the cinematic chaos, there was Gary Brandner’s 1977 novel The Howling. The story follows a woman traumatized by a violent attack and miscarriage, who retreats with her husband to the quiet California town of Drago. It’s peaceful… until the werewolves show up. Because of course it’s werewolves.

The book performed well and even carried praise from Stephen King – who, at the time, was already becoming a dominant force in horror fiction (and, well, never really stopped being one).

A theater chain owner, Steven Lane, saw potential in the book and pursued film rights. Warner Bros. initially held them but eventually development shifted through various hands, including director Jack Conrad and Avco Embassy Pictures.

From Page to Screen: The First Film Takes a Different Path

During development, Brandner released a sequel novel in 1979, giving filmmakers even more material to draw from. But The Howling would ultimately diverge heavily from both books. Director Jack Conrad left the project due to creative differences, and the script was rewritten by Terence Winkless and John Sayles under the direction of Joe Dante, fresh off Piranha.

Unlike the more serious tone of Brandner’s novels, the film leaned into self-aware camp, horror homage, and satire. It became less of a straight adaptation and more of a genre celebration. The result was a cult success, praised for its effects and tone but already drifting far from its source material.

An American Werewolf in London and the “One-and-Done” Comparison

For contrast, An American Werewolf in London also became a landmark of werewolf cinema, but its franchise trajectory was much quieter. Its sequel, An American Werewolf in Paris, arrived over a decade later and was widely considered a disappointment, especially due to its early CGI.

And that was essentially it. No sprawling continuity, no franchise expansion. Meanwhile, The Howling was just getting started.

The First Sequel Disaster: The Howling II

By 1985, The Howling II: Your Sister Is a Werewolf arrived under chaotic circumstances. Multiple creative and financial conflicts shaped the production:

• Financial instability from Hemdale Film
• Payment disputes with director Philippe Mora
• Gary Brandner’s attempt to reclaim the tone of his novels

Instead, the film became infamous for production issues, tonal inconsistency, and sheer absurdity. It even features Christopher Lee in full scenery-chewing mode. Despite being commercially weak in the U.S., it gained cult notoriety overseas. But more importantly, it marked the moment the franchise stopped trying to be consistent.

The Howling III: A Hard Left Turn into Bizarre Territory

In 1987, The Howling III: The Marsupials arrived and immediately broke continuity entirely. Set in Australia and centered on marsupial werewolves, it has almost no connection to previous entries or even Brandner’s second novel.

And yet, strangely, it has a cult following. It’s surreal, chaotic, and often unintentionally hilarious, but it also introduces a weird emotional sympathy for its creatures that the series rarely revisits. It is also the only PG-13 entry in the entire franchise, making it stand out even more.

The Franchise Splinters: The Howling IV, V, and VI

After The Marsupials, the series shifted into direct-to-video territory.

The Howling IV: The Original Nightmare

Produced under turbulent conditions, this entry attempted to return to Brandner’s original novel more closely than any prior sequel. Ironically, it ended up being one of the more “faithful” adaptations while also being one of the least memorable films in the series.

The Howling V: The Rebirth

A cult favorite among some fans, this entry is essentially a locked-room werewolf mystery. It has stronger effects than its predecessor but still exists completely outside any meaningful continuity.

The Howling VI: The Freaks

This installment finally reconnects loosely with the freak show concept from Brandner’s later writing. It features stronger casting and slightly higher production values, but still feels detached from anything resembling a coherent franchise.

At this point, The Howling was less a series and more a rotating anthology of werewolf ideas.

The Franchise Hits Bottom: The Howling: New Moon Rising

Then came the widely criticized final entry in the original run: The Howling: New Moon Rising.

Written, directed, and heavily controlled by Clive Turner, the film attempted to retroactively connect the entire franchise but ended up as a clip-show-like experience with minimal narrative structure. It is widely considered the weakest entry in the series and arguably one of the lowest points in direct-to-video horror of its era.

The Reboot Attempt: The Howling Reborn

After a long hiatus, the franchise returned in 2011 with The Howling Reborn.

Originally conceived as a teen horror film, it was reshaped in response to the Twilight wave of supernatural romance films. The result is a modernized, glossy reboot that feels closer to its contemporaries than to the original film. It came and went with little impact; more of a soft reset than a true revival.

Remake Attempts and the Future of the Franchise

There have been multiple attempts to reboot or remake The Howling, including reported development interest as early as the 2010s, with later rumored involvement from filmmakers like Andy Muschietti. As of now, the franchise remains in limbo. And that feels fitting.Because The Howling was never really a unified series. It was a brand name attached to loosely connected werewolf stories, each shaped by different producers, budgets, and creative conflicts.

Final Thoughts: A Franchise Without a Pack

Unlike franchises like Friday the 13th or Hellraiser, The Howling never had a consistent mythology, recurring characters, or stable creative leadership. After Joe Dante and key collaborators left, the series lost its identity almost immediately after the first film.

What remains is a strange legacy: a franchise that mutated constantly, rarely connected to itself, and survived more through branding than storytelling. And somehow, that makes it one of the most fascinating horror franchises of all.