When Universal slotted an April 2017 release date for their Universal Monster follow-up to THE MUMMY, I speculated that the flick would probably be CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON or, more likely, THE INVISIBLE MAN. I figured there was no way Universal would be ready to jump into another WOLF MAN flick after releasing the Joe Johnston take to mediocre box office and even worse reviews just 4 years ago.
I may have been wrong.
Hidden away in this Justin Lin news (and picked up by SlashFilm) is the tidbit that Uni has hired Aaron Guzikowski (CONTRABAND, PRISONERS) to write a movie for the studio's legendary lycanthrope. This means that Universal is in active development on a WOLF MAN movie, and that it very possibly could be that April '17 monster movie they've yet to announce.
If this is true, I must say I'm very disappointed in Universal's level of bravery here. They're obviously already chasing Marvel in their ambitions for a multi-film-spanning franchise, and kicking it off (in earnest) with THE MUMMY only 8 years after TOMB OF THE DRAGON EMPEROR is already a dubious move. But following that up with THE WOLFMAN, which we also just saw instead of Gill Man or THE INVISIBLE MAN??
We don't know what direction they want to take this WOLF MAN, but presumably it won't follow the Lawrence Talbot story of the '41 and '10 versions. Probably action-adventure, and probably contemporary. Brilliant.
I hope this is all speculation, and that Universal has more ambitious plans up their sleeve than simply rehashing THE SAME MONSTER FLICKS they rolled out within the past decade before introducing any lesser-used characters. But then why would they be looking for a screenwriter to come with another WOLF MAN flick this early on?
Whatever Universal's got cooking for after THE MUMMY, it'll be released on April 21st, 2017.
