The What Happened to This Horror Movie episode on The Wolfman (2010) was written by Jaime Vasquez:
Imagine spending 150 million dollars resurrecting one of the most iconic monsters in movie history… only for the entire production to spiral into chaos. Directors quitting just weeks before filming. Massive reshoots that delayed the movie for nearly two years. And when the film finally hit theaters, critics tore it apart and audiences stayed away. Yet somehow, this troubled production still featured an Oscar-winning makeup legend, an all-star cast, and one of the most ambitious attempts ever made to revive Universal’s classic monsters.
Released in 2010, The Wolfman was meant to revive Universal’s legendary monster franchise for a new generation. With an Oscar-winning cast, legendary makeup artist Rick Baker, and a massive production budget, it seemed to have all the ingredients for success.
So how did everything go so wrong? Why did critics tear it apart upon its release? Why did the original director exit the project just three weeks before filming began? And how did such an ambitious production end up earning a reputation as one of Universal’s biggest misfires?
Grab your silver bullets, we’re heading to 1890s London to find out what happened to The Wolfman (2010).
Andrew Kevin Walker was already well acquainted with weird and psychological horror long before working on today’s subject. One of his first major projects to hit the big screen was the eerie and gruesome 1995 David Fincher hit Seven. He continued gravitating toward dark material, writing films like 8MM and Sleepy Hollow. With a résumé like that, Walker had cemented himself as the go-to guy for bleak, twisted stories that could still play to mainstream audiences.
And The Wolfman wasn’t co-writer David Self’s first brush with horror remakes. Self made his debut with the 1999 remake of The Haunting before writing the Tom Hanks crime drama Road to Perdition.
With Walker and Self on board, the script for The Wolfman seemed to be in good hands.
Of course, it helps having inspiration like the original The Wolf Man from 1941. Written by Curt Siodmak and directed by George Waggner, the film became a key part of Universal’s legendary monster lineup, spawning four sequels and cementing Larry Talbot as one of horror’s most enduring monsters.
Benicio Del Toro had long been a fan of the classic Universal monster, collecting memorabilia from the 1941 classic and even lending his voice to the Wolfman in the 2008 video game adaptation.
Del Toro and his manager Rick Yorn soon pitched a new take on The Wolf Man to Universal. In March of 2006, the studio officially announced the film. Nearly a year later, music video and film director Mark Romanek signed on to helm the project. But Romanek’s vision for the film would eventually clash with the studio. The director pictured a darker, more psychological, less family-friendly take on the classic story, while Universal was pushing for something that could appeal to a broader audience.
The writers’ strike further complicated things, preventing Romanek from making the script changes he wanted. The director also felt the planned 80-day shooting schedule would be too difficult to pull off.
Despite the mounting challenges, Romanek was determined to stick with the film as long as he could. But that changed just three weeks before principal photography was set to begin, when the filmmaker stepped away from the project, saying the studio would be better served by a director more in line with their vision. According to Romanek, the studio didn’t push back and accepted his resignation.
After he stepped aside, several directors were reportedly considered to take his place, including Frank Darabont, James Mangold, Brett Ratner, and Martin Campbell.
Ultimately, the studio turned to a veteran filmmaker with plenty of experience handling large-scale productions. That director was The Rocketeer and Jurassic Park III filmmaker Joe Johnston.
According to Sir Anthony Hopkins, Johnston was one of the best directors he had ever worked with, even describing his work on the film as impeccable. But Johnston himself has been far less enthusiastic about the experience, admitting that taking the job was the only time he ever let money be the deciding factor in accepting a project, a decision he later said he regretted.
Looking back, Johnston bluntly described the production as “a leaky, rudderless ship in a perfect storm.”
Happily stepping into the role of Lawrence Talbot, and of course the Wolfman himself, was Benicio Del Toro. As the troubled prodigal son returning home after the mysterious death of his brother, Del Toro brings his signature quiet intensity to the character, grounding the gothic story in a deeply human performance. He also drew inspiration from Lon Chaney Jr.’s original portrayal.
Del Toro remained attached to the project from early development through its release, making The Wolfman a clear passion project for the Oscar-winning actor.
Another Oscar winner in the cast is Sir Anthony Hopkins, who plays Lawrence’s father, Sir John Talbot. Hopkins brings his usual commanding presence to the role, portraying the aristocratic patriarch with a calm authority that hints at darker secrets beneath the surface. Hopkins was initially skeptical about taking the part, but that changed when he learned that legendary makeup artist Rick Baker would be involved. With Baker on board, Hopkins enthusiastically joined the project.
Emily Blunt plays Gwen Conliffe, the grieving fiancée caught between tragedy and the dark presence surrounding Lawrence Talbot. Blunt avoids melodrama and gives the film much of its emotional anchor. In several scenes, both she and Del Toro deliberately scaled back the dialogue, letting quiet expressions carry the moment.
Rounding out the main cast is Hugo Weaving as Inspector Francis Aberline, the determined investigator trying to uncover the truth behind the town’s brutal killings. The character is loosely inspired by Frederick Abberline, the real-life chief inspector with London’s Metropolitan Police who famously investigated the Jack the Ripper murders in 1888. Weaving brings a sharp intensity to the role, and even though he’s technically hunting our main character, he still comes off as someone the audience can’t help rooting for.
Visual effects supervisor Steven Begg said the team wanted the transformation scenes to feel grounded and realistic, making the moments of mutation hit harder. Visual effects producer Karen Murphy said the team studied reference photos, built early 3D models, and experimented with different variations of the creature before scanning the practical designs to convert them digitally. Then visual effects company MPC was brought in to enhance details like growing hair and other subtle transformations.
A major part of the film’s realism came from its practical makeup effects, overseen by Academy Award-winning artist Rick Baker. Baker first heard about the project while working on another film and decided to walk across the Universal Studios lot to ask a producer if he could get involved, something he admitted he rarely does. His love for the original Wolf Man convinced him to take the initiative, and producer Scott Stuber said the team was thrilled to bring him on board.
Baker agreed with Benicio Del Toro that their version of the creature should pay tribute to Jack Pierce’s iconic 1941 design while also making the Wolfman appear more dangerous with sharper claws and larger teeth. Baker produced hundreds of concept designs before ultimately settling on one of his very first sketches.
Transforming Del Toro into the Wolfman required about four hours to apply the prosthetics and another two to remove them, a process Del Toro later described as a workout. Additional makeup work came from artist Dave Elsey, who designed the Wolfman’s long claws, eventually making them even larger than Rick Baker had planned. The exaggerated length proved popular on set, though the claws were later softened to prevent Del Toro from injuring himself during filming. The teeth, however, remained sharp, and Del Toro even managed to accidentally bite Anthony Hopkins during one scene.
For the Wolfman’s hair, Baker used crepe wool, while Creature Fabrication supervisor Lou Elsey oversaw the body suits. Several versions were created to give Del Toro a more muscular build, using spandex suits covered in yak hair to achieve the Wolfman’s shaggy appearance.
Del Toro also suggested making certain body parts edible so he could convincingly devour them on camera. Special effects artists created bones from honeycomb, marrow from a jelly-like substance, and muscles from licorice, snacks Del Toro reportedly had no problem eating during filming.
While the original film was set in the present day, the 2010 version moves the story back to 1890, creating a foggy, gaslamp-lit London reminiscent of classic horror films. To bring that Victorian world to life, the production traveled to England.
Academy Award-winning production designer Rick Heinrichs emphasized the importance of finding the right location for the Talbot family manor. After scouting across the country, the crew chose Chatsworth House in Derbyshire, the historic estate of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire. Rather than a gothic castle, the property offered a stately home the filmmakers could reshape for the story, even altering parts of the grounds to create a colder, more desolate look.
The crew also discovered the village of Castle Combe, which doubled as the town of Blackmoor, where much of the story takes place. For the asylum scenes, the production used the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, which was ideal for staging large action sequences.
Visual effects artists helped complete the Victorian illusion by digitally removing modern elements and adding sweeping views of London.
For more physical scenes, stunt performers were suspended by cables to achieve the creature’s movements. Computer-generated effects were also used for smaller details, like the Wolfman’s toes gripping the ground after landing.
Still, much of the creature’s presence came down to Del Toro’s performance. His habit of violently shaking his head during attack scenes often disrupted the makeup after only a few takes.
Director Joe Johnston later noted that Del Toro brought a subtle nuance to the role, gradually portraying the character’s descent into madness as the story progressed.
Just when everything seemed on track for a November 2008 release, The Wolfman underwent six weeks of reshoots. Some scenes featuring Benicio Del Toro fully transformed as the Wolfman reportedly didn’t look quite right, particularly shots of the creature walking upright, which looked awkward. The scenes were reshot with the Wolfman moving on all fours instead.
The additional filming also included two major sequences: a large action scene featuring the Wolfman rampaging through London and a less ambiguous ending to the story.
Director Joe Johnston explained that those moments had originally been removed from the script due to budget concerns, but once the film was assembled without them, it became apparent that the scenes were necessary.
While Del Toro and Emily Blunt were able to return for the reshoots, Anthony Hopkins was unable to travel back to the UK and instead filmed his additional material in the United States, which explains his hairstyle change midway through the film.
The reshoots pushed the film’s release back to November 2009. According to producer Scott Stuber, the studio also wanted to avoid opening the movie against major releases that weekend, like The Twilight Saga: New Moon and 2012.
By this point, the film’s production budget had ballooned from an initial $85 million to roughly $150 million.
Amid the delays and reshoots, the film’s musical score also briefly found itself in limbo. Danny Elfman had originally composed the music, drawing inspiration from Wojciech Kilar’s score for Bram Stoker’s Dracula.
At one point, however, Elfman’s work was reportedly considered tonally out of step with the evolving cut of the film, and composer Paul Haslinger was nearly brought in as a replacement.
In the end, the filmmakers chose to keep Elfman’s original score, which ultimately fit the film’s gothic tone.
The Wolfman finally premiered in theaters on February 12, 2010. The film opened at number two at the box office, finishing behind the romantic comedy Valentine’s Day. Rick Baker later criticized the decision to release the film in February, pointing out that a romantic comedy titled Valentine’s Day was almost guaranteed to dominate the holiday weekend. Baker believed the film would have performed much better with a Halloween season release.
The film opened to a modest $31 million during its first weekend. However, poor critical reception and weak word of mouth quickly took their toll, with the film dropping a steep 68% in its second weekend. The film ultimately earned about $62 million domestically and $78 million overseas, for a worldwide total of roughly $140 million.
Considering its $150 million production budget, the film was ultimately viewed as a box office disappointment.
Critics were similarly lukewarm toward the film. It currently holds a 32% score on Rotten Tomatoes, along with a nearly identical 33% audience score, and a 5.9 out of 10 rating on IMDb. Many reviewers criticized the film’s uneven tone and felt it ultimately lacked the impact expected from a modern horror movie.
However, there was still plenty of praise for Benicio Del Toro’s tragic performance, as well as Rick Baker’s impressive practical makeup effects.
Those incredible makeup effects earned Rick Baker, along with Dave and Lou Elsey, the Academy Award for Best Makeup at the 2011 Oscars. It also marked Baker’s second Oscar win for a werewolf film, the first being 1981’s An American Werewolf in London, a movie that helped inspire his work on The Wolfman.
The film’s Unrated Director’s Cut includes several scenes not present in the theatrical version. Among the smaller additions is the use of the classic 1940s Universal logo at the beginning of the film, a nod to the original The Wolf Man.
Ben Talbot’s death scene is extended, and a new sequence shows Lawrence performing in a London stage play.
The most notable additions are alternate endings. In one version, the Wolfman bites Gwen before being shot by the hunting party. She later awakens and looks up at the moon, implying that she may now have transformed into a werewolf herself. Another ending follows a similar structure but cuts off shortly after Gwen is bitten, leaving her fate ambiguous.
The film was clearly set up for a sequel, but after its disappointing reception those plans never moved forward.
Years later, director Leigh Whannell offered his own take on the character with Wolf Man, released in January 2025. That film also received lukewarm reviews and underperformed at the box office, though not quite to the spectacular degree of the 2010 version.
The Wolfman developed a rough reputation due to its troubled production, delays, and disappointing reception. Even then-Universal Studios president Ronald Meyer famously referred to the film as “crappy,” calling it “one of the worst movies we ever made.”
Yet with time, the film has begun to age far better than expected. Today, The Wolfman has developed something of a cult following, with many viewers reconsidering it as a film that may have been judged too harshly.
Between strong performances from Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt, and Hugo Weaving, Rick Baker’s Oscar-winning practical effects, and its richly gothic atmosphere, the film still has plenty to offer horror fans. And that, my friends, is what happened to The Wolfman.
A couple of previous episodes of this show can be seen below. For more, check out the JoBlo Horror Originals YouTube channel—and don’t forget to subscribe!