''Werewolf by Night'' is an American
television special
A television special (often TV special, or rarely television spectacular) is a standalone television show which may also temporarily interrupt episodic programming normally scheduled for a given time slot. Some specials provide a full range of ent ...
directed by
Michael Giacchino
Michael Giacchino (; born October 10, 1967) is an American composer of music for films, television and video games. He has also served as a director for television. He has received many awards, including an Oscar for his work on '' Up'' (2009), ...
and written by Heather Quinn and Peter Cameron for the streaming service
Disney+
Disney+ is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned and operated by the Media and Entertainment Distribution division of The Walt Disney Company. The service primarily distributes films and television se ...
, based on the
Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
featuring the character
of the same name. It is the first
Marvel Studios Special Presentation
Marvel Studios Special Presentations are a series of television specials produced by Marvel Studios for Disney+, set within the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), sharing continuity with the franchise's films and television series. The Marvel Stu ...
in the
Marvel Cinematic Universe
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appear in American comic books published by ...
(MCU), sharing continuity with
the films and
television series of the franchise. The special was produced by
Marvel Studios
Marvel Studios, LLC (originally known as Marvel Films from 1993 to 1996) is an American film and television production company that is a subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios, a division of the Walt Disney Company. Marvel Studios produces the Mar ...
and follows a secret group of monster hunters as they compete for a powerful relic while going up against a dangerous monster.
Gael García Bernal
Gael García Bernal (; born 30 November 1978) is a Mexican actor and producer. He is best known for his performances in the films '' Bad Education'', '' The Motorcycle Diaries'', '' Amores perros'', ''Y tu mamá también'', ''Babel'', '' Coco'', ...
stars in the special as
Jack Russell / Werewolf by Night, along with
Laura Donnelly
Laura Donnelly (born 24 June 1982) is a Northern Irish actress. She is the recipient of a Laurence Olivier Award as well as a nomination for a Tony Award. On television, she is known for her roles in the Starz series '' Outlander'' (2014–201 ...
and
Harriet Sansom Harris
Harriet Sansom Harris (born January 8, 1955) is an American actress known for her theater performances and for her portrayals of Bebe Glazer on ''Frasier'' and Felicia Tilman on ''Desperate Housewives''.
Harris won a Tony Award in 2002 as a Fe ...
. Development of the special had begun by August 2021, with Bernal cast that November. Giacchino was revealed to be directing in March 2022, ahead of the start of filming later that month at
Trilith Studios
Trilith Studios is an American film and television production studio located south of Atlanta in Fayette County, Georgia. Originally known as Pinewood Atlanta Studios, the studio has been used to produce many films and television programs, particu ...
in
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
, concluding in late April. The special was formally announced in September, when Giacchino revealed he was also composing.
''Werewolf by Night'' was released on October 7, 2022, as part of
Phase Four of the MCU. The special received positive reviews from critics, with praise for its use of practical effects, the
black-and-white
Black-and-white (B&W or B/W) images combine black and white in a continuous spectrum, producing a range of shades of grey.
Media
The history of various visual media began with black and white, and as technology improved, altered to color. ...
cinematography, performances (particularly Bernal and Donnelly), Giacchino's direction and score, and its story, with many noting its departure from previous MCU media.
Plot
Following the death of
Ulysses Bloodstone
Ulysses Bloodstone is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is an immortal monster-hunter.
Ulysses Bloodstone appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe / Disney+ television special '' Werewolf by N ...
, five experienced monster hunters, including
Jack Russell, are summoned by Ulysses' widow,
Verussa, to Bloodstone Manor, where they are instructed to participate in a competitive hunt to determine their new leader, who will wield the powerful
Bloodstone. Ulysses' estranged daughter
Elsa also arrives to compete for the Bloodstone, despite Verussa warning her against doing so.
The hunt begins in a large maze on the grounds of the manor, with a captured monster that has been implanted with the Bloodstone as the hunters' quarry. Following a brief encounter with Elsa, Russell finds the monster, "
Ted
TED may refer to:
Economics and finance
* TED spread between U.S. Treasuries and Eurodollar
Education
* ''Türk Eğitim Derneği'', the Turkish Education Association
** TED Ankara College Foundation Schools, Turkey
** Transvaal Education Depa ...
", a friend that Russell was searching for and intended to rescue, while Elsa fights and kills one of the other hunters. Russell leaves Ted to carry out his escape plan, and once again stumbles upon Elsa while she is hiding in a mausoleum. The two agree to work together to free Ted and obtain the Bloodstone for Elsa. Ted kills another of the hunters and Russell destroys the outer wall of the maze so they can escape. Ted flees into the forest after Elsa removes the Bloodstone from him. However, the Bloodstone reacts violently to Russell's touch, indicating that he is also a monster, as Verussa and the remaining hunters arrive.
Verussa captures Russell and Elsa, places them in a cage, and uses the Bloodstone to trigger Russell's transformation into his
werewolf
In folklore, a werewolf (), or occasionally lycanthrope (; ; uk, Вовкулака, Vovkulaka), is an individual that can shapeshift into a wolf (or, especially in modern film, a therianthropic hybrid wolf-like creature), either purposely ...
form. Instead of killing Elsa as Verussa intended, the werewolf escapes the cage and slaughters Verussa's guards, only for Verussa to subdue him using the Bloodstone. Elsa also escapes, kills the two remaining hunters, and stops Verussa from killing the werewolf. As she attempts communication, the werewolf attacks Elsa, but spares her upon recognizing her and leaves the manor. A furious Verussa tries to shoot Elsa, but is incinerated by Ted, who then leaves to find Russell while Elsa takes possession of the manor and the Bloodstone. The next day, Russell awakens in the forest in his human form with Ted watching over him, and is pleased to learn that Elsa is safe.
Cast
*
Gael García Bernal
Gael García Bernal (; born 30 November 1978) is a Mexican actor and producer. He is best known for his performances in the films '' Bad Education'', '' The Motorcycle Diaries'', '' Amores perros'', ''Y tu mamá también'', ''Babel'', '' Coco'', ...
as
Jack Russell / Werewolf by Night:
A monster hunter who has been afflicted with a curse that turns him into a
werewolf
In folklore, a werewolf (), or occasionally lycanthrope (; ; uk, Вовкулака, Vovkulaka), is an individual that can shapeshift into a wolf (or, especially in modern film, a therianthropic hybrid wolf-like creature), either purposely ...
.
Bernal was intrigued by "the idea of the whole tapestry of a life" for Russell and what turning into a werewolf meant for him.
To prepare for the role, Bernal read about werewolf mythology and half-human creatures from various cultures around the world, as well as reading comics featuring the character and watching older horror films.
It initially took Bernal four hours to get into the werewolf costume and make-up, with the timing becoming "quite fast" by the end of filming.
*
Laura Donnelly
Laura Donnelly (born 24 June 1982) is a Northern Irish actress. She is the recipient of a Laurence Olivier Award as well as a nomination for a Tony Award. On television, she is known for her roles in the Starz series '' Outlander'' (2014–201 ...
as
Elsa Bloodstone
Elsa Bloodstone is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She first appears in Marvel's ''Bloodstone'' mini-series of 2001 written by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning. She is the daughter of the previously ...
:
Ulysses Bloodstone
Ulysses Bloodstone is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is an immortal monster-hunter.
Ulysses Bloodstone appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe / Disney+ television special '' Werewolf by N ...
's estranged daughter who dislikes her family's tradition of hunting monsters.
Donnelly was drawn to the character's fighting capability and being able to do the stunt work associated with her action scenes.
Director
Michael Giacchino
Michael Giacchino (; born October 10, 1967) is an American composer of music for films, television and video games. He has also served as a director for television. He has received many awards, including an Oscar for his work on '' Up'' (2009), ...
did not want the MCU version of the character to be hyper-sexualized like the comics version is, nor to have her wield guns. He continued, "I wanted her to be badass, of course, but I wanted her to be smart, I wanted her to be vulnerable, I just wanted her to be a real person", which he believed Donnelly embodied "in spades".
*
Harriet Sansom Harris
Harriet Sansom Harris (born January 8, 1955) is an American actress known for her theater performances and for her portrayals of Bebe Glazer on ''Frasier'' and Felicia Tilman on ''Desperate Housewives''.
Harris won a Tony Award in 2002 as a Fe ...
as
Verussa Bloodstone:
Ulysses's widow and Elsa's stepmother who leads the secret group of monster hunters.
Harris said Verussa was "very interested in control" and with Ulysses's death, is able to enter into a more prominent and powerful role.
Also appearing as the additional monster hunters are
Kirk R. Thatcher as Jovan,
Eugenie Bondurant as Azarel,
Leonardo Nam
Leonardo Nam (born November 5, 1979) is an Australian actor. He made his breakthrough as Roy in '' The Perfect Score'' (2004), and gained further recognition for his roles as Morimoto in '' The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift'' (2006) and Bria ...
as Liorn, and
Daniel J. Watts as Barasso. Al Hamacher appears as Billy Swan, the Bloodstones' servant;
Carey Jones provides the motion-capture of the swamp creature
Ted / Man-Thing,
with the special's editor
Jeffrey Ford
Jeffrey Ford (born November 8, 1955) is an American writer in the fantastic genre tradition, although his works have spanned genres including fantasy, science fiction and mystery. His work is characterized by a sweeping imaginative power, humo ...
providing additional vocalizations;
David Silverman appears as the flaming tuba player;
Rick Wasserman
Rick Darrin Wasserman is an American voice, stage and television actor.
Early life and career
He graduated from Temple University with a BA in Theatre in 1995 and later from the University of Missouri with a MFA in Acting in 1998.
His best kn ...
narrates the special's opening sequence;
and Richard Dixon voices
Ulysses Bloodstone
Ulysses Bloodstone is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is an immortal monster-hunter.
Ulysses Bloodstone appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe / Disney+ television special '' Werewolf by N ...
, Elsa's deceased monster-hunting father who originally wielded the
Bloodstone and has become a talking corpse.
Erik Beck was a puppeteer on the special.
Production
Development
The
Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
character
Werewolf by Night
The Werewolf by Night (usually referred to by other characters simply as the Werewolf) is the name applied to two fictional characters who are werewolves appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first incarnation of We ...
was planned for a feature film by May 2001, to be licensed from
Marvel Studios
Marvel Studios, LLC (originally known as Marvel Films from 1993 to 1996) is an American film and television production company that is a subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios, a division of the Walt Disney Company. Marvel Studios produces the Mar ...
and distributed by
Dimension Films,
with a story developed by Marvel Studios'
Avi Arad,
Kevin Feige, and Ari Arad. Hans Rodionoff was writing the script by June 2002 following several drafts by
John Fasano
John Michael Fasano (August 24, 1961 – July 19, 2014) was an American screenwriter, film producer and director.
In the length of his career, Fasano directed six films, produced twenty more, and wrote screenplays for at least eighteen others. F ...
, and
Crystal Sky Pictures
Crystal Sky Pictures is an American independent film production company founded in 1991 and owned by producer Steven Paul, chairman and CEO
A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator ...
was set to co-produce the film.
By February 2003,
Robert Nelson Jacobs was writing the film, with
Steven Paul
Steven Paul (born May 16, 1959) is an American independent filmmaker, actor, and talent manager. He is the chairman, founder and CEO of Crystal Sky Pictures.
Life and career
Paul was born in New York City. His mother, Dorothy Koster Paul, was ...
and Patrick Ewald producing for Crystal Sky alongside Brad Weston and Nick Phillips for Dimension Films.
In early March 2004, the project was advertised at the
American Film Market for distribution,
and by November, Crystal Sky was preparing to shoot the film in the United Kingdom over the following six months.
The next November, Crystal Sky was planning to announce a director and cast shortly, and start filming in 2006, but this did not materialize.
Marvel Studios had intended to use the character in a
Marvel Cinematic Universe
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appear in American comic books published by ...
(MCU) project as early as February 2019, when
Kevin Smith
Kevin Patrick Smith (born August 2, 1970) is an American filmmaker, actor, comedian, comic book writer, author, YouTuber, and podcaster. He came to prominence with the low-budget comedy buddy film '' Clerks'' (1994), which he wrote, directed, ...
was informed that he could not feature Werewolf by Night in his then-planned
Marvel Television
Marvel Television was an American television production company responsible for live-action and animated (through Marvel Animation) television shows and direct-to-DVD series based on characters from Marvel Comics. The division was based at affi ...
animated ''
Howard the Duck
Howard the Duck is a fictional Character (arts), character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Steve Gerber and artist Val Mayerik. Howard the Duck first appeared in ''Adventure into F ...
'' series due to Marvel Studios' own plans.
Additionally, ''Howard the Duck'' along with ''
M.O.D.O.K.
MODOK (also written as M.O.D.O.K.; an acronym for Mental/Mobile/Mechanized Organism Designed Only for Killing) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first MODOK is George Tarleton, a former e ...
'' (2021), ''
Hit-Monkey
Hit-Monkey is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.
Publication history
Created by writer Daniel Way and artist Dalibor Talajić, Hit-Monkey first appeared in ''Hit-Monkey'' #1 (April 2010), a digi ...
'' (2021), and ''
Tigra & Dazzler'' were planned to lead to a crossover event ''
The Offenders'', which would have been titled ''The Offenders: Giant Sized Man Thing'', with the characters all meeting the swamp monster
Man-Thing
The Man-Thing (Dr. Theodore "Ted" Sallis) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writers Stan Lee, Roy Thomas, and Gerry Conway and artist Gray Morrow, the character first appeared in ''S ...
; the crossover was cancelled in part once again because of Marvel Studios' plans for the character.
By August 2021, Marvel Studios was developing a Halloween-themed
television special
A television special (often TV special, or rarely television spectacular) is a standalone television show which may also temporarily interrupt episodic programming normally scheduled for a given time slot. Some specials provide a full range of ent ...
for
Disney+
Disney+ is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned and operated by the Media and Entertainment Distribution division of The Walt Disney Company. The service primarily distributes films and television se ...
that was reportedly centered on Werewolf by Night, though it was unclear if either the
Jack Russell or
Jake Gomez versions of the character would be featured.
Earlier in the month, ''Production Weekly'' had included a Werewolf by Night project in their report of upcoming projects in development.
Michael Giacchino
Michael Giacchino (; born October 10, 1967) is an American composer of music for films, television and video games. He has also served as a director for television. He has received many awards, including an Oscar for his work on '' Up'' (2009), ...
was hired to direct the one-hour special by March 2022, after previously scoring several
MCU films,
and having been rumored to be directing a Marvel Disney+ project since December 2021;
Giacchino previously directed the 2018 short film ''Monster Challenge'' and the animated ''
Star Trek: Short Treks'' episode "
Ephraim and Dot" (2019).
When Feige asked Giacchino which Marvel Comics property he wanted to work on, the producer was initially surprised to hear Giacchino's interest in Werewolf by Night, but was enthused after further discussing his ideas for it.
The project was being referred to by some as ''Werewolf by Night'', although ''
The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
'' noted that it could have a different title.
Giacchino confirmed he was directing the special in June 2022, calling it an enjoyable but "challenging process".
That September, Marvel Studios officially revealed the special, titled ''Werewolf by Night''.
The special was described as Marvel Studios' "first-ever special presentation",
and was marketed as a "
Marvel Studios Special Presentation
Marvel Studios Special Presentations are a series of television specials produced by Marvel Studios for Disney+, set within the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), sharing continuity with the franchise's films and television series. The Marvel Stu ...
";
it is 53 minutes long.
There was no mandate for how long the special should be, but the creatives all believed it should be around an hour.
Giacchino approached the special like an episode of ''
The Twilight Zone
''The Twilight Zone'' is an American media franchise based on the anthology television series created by Rod Serling. The episodes are in various genres, including fantasy, science fiction, absurdism, dystopian fiction, suspense, horror, sup ...
'', in that it would present "one night in the life of
ack_Russell_and_Elsa_Bloodstone.html" ;"title="Elsa_Bloodstone.html" ;"title="ack Russell and Elsa Bloodstone">ack Russell and Elsa Bloodstone">Elsa_Bloodstone.html" ;"title="ack Russell and Elsa Bloodstone">ack Russell and Elsa Bloodstone/nowiki>, and see what happens". This allowed them to avoid needing to cover more of an origin story than needed, or setting up what would happen after the events of the special. Marvel Studios' Feige, Stephen Broussard, Louis D'Esposito, Victoria Alonso, and Brad Winderbaum serve as executive producers.
Writing
Heather Quinn and Peter Cameron co-wrote the screenplay, from a story by Quinn; Quinn previously wrote for the Marvel Studios Disney+ series '' Hawkeye'' (2021) and Cameron wrote for ''WandaVision
''WandaVision'' is an American television miniseries created by Jac Schaeffer for the streaming service Disney+, based on Marvel Comics featuring the characters Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch and Vision. It is the first television series in ...
'' (2021) and '' Moon Knight'' (2022). Quinn was asked to pitch for the special while she was working on set of ''Hawkeye'' in early 2021. She worked closely with Giacchino to craft the story of the special.
Giacchino said the special was inspired by horror film
Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit fear or disgust in its audience for entertainment purposes.
Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements include monsters, apoca ...
s from the 1930s and 1940s, comparing it to the film '' Poltergeist'' (1982), which was a major influence for the special, in that it would have "the right level of scares". Other inspirations included ''The Twilight Zone'', ''King Kong
King Kong is a fictional giant monster resembling a gorilla, who has appeared in various media since 1933. He has been dubbed The Eighth Wonder of the World, a phrase commonly used within the franchise. His first appearance was in the novelizat ...
'' (1933), and '' The Wolf Man'' (1941), with Giacchino calling ''Werewolf by Night'' a "love letter" to these horror inspirations. Additionally, Giacchino tried to approach the special with a "moral center" beyond "just blood and guts". Disney+ stated that the special would "evoke a sense of dread and the macabre, with plenty of suspense and scares along the way". Feige called the special "fun", adding that it was also "a little darker nda little scarier" than the studio's other content. Elements of the Werewolf by Night character were altered from the comics to allow the story to work in a more modern setting; Quinn had been inspired by the ''Werewolf by Night'' issues "Carnival of Fear" and "The Danger Game". The special also features Man-Thing, at the suggestion of Feige. Man-Thing is only referred to as Ted in ''Werewolf by Night'', with Giacchino wanting to call him by his actual name as "a way to humanize him". There were also considerations to refer to him as a "Giant-Size Man-Thing" (a reference to one of his comic book titles) but this and others "never felt quite right" and seemed "a little too cheeky".
Giacchino had assumed ''Werewolf by Night'' would be rated TV-MA
The TV Parental Guidelines are a television content rating system in the United States that was first proposed on December 19, 1996, by the United States Congress, the television industry and the Federal Communications Commission, federal commun ...
given its use of blood and the scare elements, but felt that it being in black-and-white
Black-and-white (B&W or B/W) images combine black and white in a continuous spectrum, producing a range of shades of grey.
Media
The history of various visual media began with black and white, and as technology improved, altered to color. ...
helped it be rated TV-14
The TV Parental Guidelines are a television content rating system in the United States that was first proposed on December 19, 1996, by the United States Congress, the television industry and the federal communication commission (FCC), and went ...
. ''Werewolf by Night'' does not give exact details as to how it fits into the larger MCU, but Giacchino described it as being "within the realm" of the MCU. He added that it was "not important" to show the "where, when, how" of how ''Werewolf by Night'' fits within the MCU. The special's introduction provides context to how monsters have previously existed within the MCU, despite no previous mentions, much in the way the film '' Eternals'' (2021) weaved the Eternals into the background history of the MCU. Giacchino has "a very specific idea" of how the special fits into the MCU that he used as a personal reference while making the special, but had not discussed it with Marvel Studios. The special is largely a self-contained story within the MCU, with no appearances by established characters, though there had been some consideration to include Blade
A blade is the portion of a tool, weapon, or machine with an edge that is designed to puncture, chop, slice or scrape surfaces or materials. Blades are typically made from materials that are harder than those they are to be used on. Historic ...
.
Casting
A search for a male Latino actor in their 30s to portray the lead role in the special was underway by the end of August 2021, with Gael García Bernal
Gael García Bernal (; born 30 November 1978) is a Mexican actor and producer. He is best known for his performances in the films '' Bad Education'', '' The Motorcycle Diaries'', '' Amores perros'', ''Y tu mamá también'', ''Babel'', '' Coco'', ...
cast in the role in November. In January 2022, Laura Donnelly
Laura Donnelly (born 24 June 1982) is a Northern Irish actress. She is the recipient of a Laurence Olivier Award as well as a nomination for a Tony Award. On television, she is known for her roles in the Starz series '' Outlander'' (2014–201 ...
was cast in an undisclosed role. Bernal and Donnelly did not have to audition, with Giacchino directly reaching out to Bernal and choosing Donnelly given he was a fan of her previous work. In September, Bernal and Donnelly were respectively confirmed as Jack Russell / Werewolf by Night and Elsa Bloodstone
Elsa Bloodstone is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She first appears in Marvel's ''Bloodstone'' mini-series of 2001 written by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning. She is the daughter of the previously ...
. Additional castings include Harriet Sansom Harris
Harriet Sansom Harris (born January 8, 1955) is an American actress known for her theater performances and for her portrayals of Bebe Glazer on ''Frasier'' and Felicia Tilman on ''Desperate Housewives''.
Harris won a Tony Award in 2002 as a Fe ...
as Verussa Bloodstone, Al Hamacher as Billy Swan, Eugenie Bondurant as Azarel, Kirk R. Thatcher as Jovan, Leonardo Nam
Leonardo Nam (born November 5, 1979) is an Australian actor. He made his breakthrough as Roy in '' The Perfect Score'' (2004), and gained further recognition for his roles as Morimoto in '' The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift'' (2006) and Bria ...
as Liorn, Daniel J. Watts as Barasso, Carey Jones as Ted / Man-Thing, with the special's editor Jeffrey Ford
Jeffrey Ford (born November 8, 1955) is an American writer in the fantastic genre tradition, although his works have spanned genres including fantasy, science fiction and mystery. His work is characterized by a sweeping imaginative power, humo ...
providing additional vocalizations, and Richard Dixon voicing Ulysses Bloodstone
Ulysses Bloodstone is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is an immortal monster-hunter.
Ulysses Bloodstone appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe / Disney+ television special '' Werewolf by N ...
. Jovan was loosely based on and inspired by the comics character Joshua Kane.
Design
Maya Shimoguchi served as the production designer, having previously worked on ''Hawkeye''. Prior to that, she also served as the supervising art director for the MCU film ''Thor
Thor (; from non, Þórr ) is a prominent god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred groves and trees, strength, the protection of humankind, hallowing, an ...
'' (2011). Shimoguchi created "a richly textured environment" out of concrete for the rotunda and garden that evoked film noir. The fresco in the hallway of Bloodstone Manor that referenced the history of monsters in the MCU was inspired by the Bayeux Tapestry.
For the werewolf design in the special, Giacchino enjoyed being able to see an actor's face and eyes in the designs for older films such as ''Werewolf of London
''Werewolf of London'' is a 1935 horror film directed by Stuart Walker and starring Henry Hull as the titular werewolf. The supporting cast includes Warner Oland, Valerie Hobson, Lester Matthews, and Spring Byington. Jack Pierce, who is b ...
'' (1935) since they "kept the human qualities", with Werewolf by Night looking more like Larry Talbot / The Wolf Man from ''The Wolf Man'' than a more monster-like design created through CGI in more modern films. Mayes C. Rubeo served as the costume designer, after doing so for '' Thor: Ragnarok'' (2017), ''WandaVision
''WandaVision'' is an American television miniseries created by Jac Schaeffer for the streaming service Disney+, based on Marvel Comics featuring the characters Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch and Vision. It is the first television series in ...
'' (2021) and '' Thor: Love and Thunder'' (2022).
Filming
Filming was expected to begin in late March 2022 at Trilith Studios
Trilith Studios is an American film and television production studio located south of Atlanta in Fayette County, Georgia. Originally known as Pinewood Atlanta Studios, the studio has been used to produce many films and television programs, particu ...
in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
, under the working title
A working title, which may be abbreviated and styled in trade publications after a putative title as (wt), also called a production title or a tentative title, is the temporary title of a product or project used during its development, usually ...
''Buzzcut'', and had begun by March 29. Zoë White served as cinematographer. Filming was previously expected to begin in February to last for a month until March. ''Werewolf by Night'' employed many practical effect
A practical effect is a special effect produced physically, without computer-generated imagery or other post-production techniques. In some contexts, "special effect" is used as a synonym of "practical effect", in contrast to "visual effects" ...
s, such as Russell's transformation into a werewolf. Visual effects supervisor Joe Farrell assisted with this, which "took months to design and figure out" how to execute. The transformation is seen mainly from Elsa's perspective, which was done because Giacchino felt this would be scarier if the audience was not fully shown the transformation. The only CGI elements were the cage bars, as the practical ones had to be removed when shooting in order to achieve the proper shadow projection from the projector. Another practical technique used was filming various moments backwards to then be reversed during editing, such Verussa being grabbed by the werewolf; actress Samson was filmed starting against the cage and then was pulled away from it.
Man-Thing was realized through a combination of actor Carey Jones in a practical suit, animatronics, and practical and CGI effects. KNB EFX Group created all of the practical monsters and animatronics for the special, including a life-size practical Man-Thing animatronic that was used for an on-set reference. Giacchino noted the other monsters in the special were created with practical effects and that CGI elements were only used for Man-Thing because they would have not been able to create him without them, though they had attempted to use the animatronic for the entire special. Ulysses Bloodstone was an animatronic puppet, which came at the suggestion of Cameron late in the production process. Some of the "more brutal elements" in the special and its fight sequences were conceived on the day of filming. The fight between the guards and the werewolf was filmed as a continuous shot, with the stunt performers in the scene only needing two takes for it. Filming lasted 12 days, and had wrapped by late April.
Post-production
Jeffrey Ford served as the editor for the special, after previously doing so for prior MCU media. The special was shot in color and early edits were also in color. Giacchino hoped to be able to release it in black-and-white, and eventually created a black-and-white cut to show Feige; he explained that Marvel Studios was onboard with the special being in black-and-white after they saw it that way, noting it was "the right thing to do for the spirit of the story we were telling". Co-executive producer Brian Gay
Joseph Brian Gay (born December 14, 1971) is an American professional golfer who currently plays on the PGA Tour and PGA Tour Champions.
Early years
A military brat, Gay was born in Fort Worth, Texas, but was raised primarily at Fort Rucker, Al ...
further noted that the black-and-white cinematography paid homage to classic monster films and emphasized the special's uniqueness from other MCU properties. The end of the special transitions into color, with Giacchino doing this to show the "nightmare is over" for Elsa and "things are now changing and evolving and hopefully the future will be a brighter place". Visual effects were created by JAMM, Zoic Studios
Zoic Studios is an American visual effects company based in Culver City, California. They specialize in visual effects for feature films, episodic television, commercials, video games, advertising design, and interactive online media.
History ...
, Base FX
Base FX is a visual effects and animation company with production studios in Beijing, Kuala Lumpur, Wuxi and Xiamen, and an office in Los Angeles. The company was founded in 2006 and has completed more than 150 films.
Base FX specializes in high-e ...
, SDFX Studios, and Digital Domain
Digital Domain is an American visual effects and digital production company based in Playa Vista, Los Angeles, California. The company is known for creating digital imagery for feature films, advertising and games from its locations in Californ ...
.
Music
Giacchino also scored the special in addition to directing, and wrote the theme for the special prior to filming, allowing him to modify it during that process. He would present musical excerpts during meeting in pre-production or ahead of filming to help convey the tone he was envisioning for what was being discussed. Much of the score was composed while Giacchino was editing the special, which allowed him to present new ideas to Ford in the moment, who would subsequently suggest another edit based on that new music. The special also featured the songs " I Never Had a Chance" by Irving Berlin
Irving Berlin (born Israel Beilin; yi, ישראל ביילין; May 11, 1888 – September 22, 1989) was a Russian-American composer, songwriter and lyricist. His music forms a large part of the Great American Songbook.
Born in Imperial Russ ...
, "Wishing (Will Make It So)" by Vera Lynn
Dame Vera Margaret Lynn (; 20 March 191718 June 2020) was an English singer and entertainer whose musical recordings and performances were very popular during World War II. She is honorifically known as the " Forces' Sweetheart", having giv ...
, and " Over the Rainbow" by Judy Garland
Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10, 1922June 22, 1969) was an American actress and singer. While critically acclaimed for many different roles throughout her career, she is widely known for playing the part of Dorothy Gale in '' The ...
. The score for the special was released digitally by Marvel Music and Hollywood Records
Hollywood Records is an American record label of the Disney Music Group. The label focuses in pop, rock, alternative, hip hop, and country genres, as well as specializing in mature recordings not suitable for the flagship Walt Disney Records l ...
on October 7, with four additional tracks released on October 27, 2022 as part of an updated edition of the soundtrack album.
Marketing
The teaser trailer
A teaser (or more specifically teaser trailer) is a mini- trailer and a form of teaser campaign advertising that focuses on film and television programming. It is a videography pre-release move or television show advertisement. Short in length, te ...
and poster for the special were revealed at the 2022 D23 Expo
D23: The Official Disney Fan Club is the official fan club for The Walt Disney Company. Founded in 2009, the organization is known mainly for its biennial exposition event, the D23 Expo. The name ''D23'' refers to ''D'' for ''Disney'' and ''23'' ...
. The trailer was noted for appearing in black-and-white and having other film elements resembling classic horror films. Maggie Boccella from ''Collider
A collider is a type of particle accelerator which brings two opposing particle beams together such that the particles collide. Colliders may either be ring accelerators or linear accelerators.
Colliders are used as a research tool in particl ...
'' felt the trailer was "presented like an old school Hammer Horror
Hammer Film Productions Ltd. is a British film production company based in London. Founded in 1934, the company is best known for a series of Gothic fiction, Gothic horror and fantasy films made from the mid-1950s until the 1970s. Many of thes ...
film", comparing it to the works of Lon Chaney
Leonidas Frank "Lon" Chaney (April 1, 1883 – August 26, 1930) was an American actor. He is regarded as one of the most versatile and powerful actors of cinema, renowned for his characterizations of tortured, often grotesque and affli ...
and Bela Lugosi
Béla Ferenc Dezső Blaskó (; October 20, 1882 – August 16, 1956), known professionally as Bela Lugosi (; ), was a Hungarian and American actor best remembered for portraying Count Dracula in the 1931 horror classic ''Dracula'', Ygor in ''S ...
, both actors known primarily for their roles in horror films. Amanda Lamadrid of ''Screen Rant
''Screen Rant'' is an entertainment website that offers news in the fields of television, films, video games, and film theories. ''Screen Rant'' was launched by Vic Holtreman in 2003, and originally had its primary office in Ogden, Utah. ''Scr ...
'' called the trailer "shocking and unique", saying it shows Marvel "going all-in on the vintage scream factor" while adding that the special looks "unlike any previous MCU project".
Release
''Werewolf by Night'' was released on Disney+ on October 7, 2022. A special screening occurred at Fantastic Fest
Fantastic Fest is an annual film festival in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 2005 by Tim League of Alamo Drafthouse, Harry Knowles of Ain't It Cool News, Paul Alvarado-Dykstra, and Tim McCanlies, writer of ''The Iron Giant'' and ''Secondhand ...
in Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the county seat, seat and largest city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and Williamson County, Texas, Williamson co ...
on September 25, 2022, and at Hollywood Forever Cemetery
Hollywood Forever Cemetery is a full-service cemetery, funeral home, crematory, and cultural events center which regularly hosts community events such as live music and summer movie screenings. It is one of the oldest cemeteries in Los Angel ...
on October 6 as part of a Disney+ Halloween-themed event called "Hallowstream" alongside the ''WandaVision
''WandaVision'' is an American television miniseries created by Jac Schaeffer for the streaming service Disney+, based on Marvel Comics featuring the characters Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch and Vision. It is the first television series in ...
'' episode " All-New Halloween Spooktacular!" (2021). An additional screening occurred on October 13, 2022 at the New Beverly Cinema
The New Beverly Cinema is a historic movie theater located in Los Angeles, California. Housed in a building that dates back to the 1920s, it is one of the oldest revival houses in the region. Since 2007, it has been owned by filmmaker Quentin Tar ...
, with the special being presented on 35 mm movie film. It is part of Phase Four of the MCU.
Reception
Audience viewership
According to Whip Media
Whip Media Group is a private American company selling enterprise software for content distribution, as well as TV- and film-related user data. It operates physical offices in the US, the UK, and the EU.
Background
Whip Media Group is the result ...
's TV Time
Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, e ...
, ''Werewolf by Night'' was the top streaming film for viewers in the United States for the week ending October 9, 2022, the second-most streamed for the week ending October 16, the third-most for the week ending October 23, and the sixth-most for the week ending October 30.
Critical response
The review aggregator
A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...
website Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
reported a 90% approval rating, with an average score of 7.6/10, based on 103 reviews. The website's critics consensus reads: "A spooky yarn told with taut economy, ''Werewolf by Night'' is a standout Marvel entry that proves Michael Giacchino as atmospheric and skilled a director as he is a composer." Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
, which uses a weighted average, assigned the special a score of 69 out of 100 based on 17 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".
Jordan Moreau from ''Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' called ''Werewolf by Night'' "a triumphant first effort at losing the capes and spandex and delving into more genre territory for Marvel" and enjoyed the introduction of Russell and Bloodstone to the MCU, particularly noting Man-Thing's appearance which he called the "MVP" of the special, though felt the other characters were forgettable. Moreau was not as keen on the look of the werewolf, wishing it was more "intimidating or hulking" as creatures from other monster films. Writing for ''The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
'', Daniel Feinberg said, "At only 52 minutes and decidedly light on plot and supporting characters, it’s a slight but fairly amusing thing, elevated above being a mere exercise in style by the lead performances from Gael Garcia Bernal and Laura Donnelly." He applauded the design of Bloodstone Manor and the "vintage spooky homages" but wished Giacchino and White had "pushed the extremes of the aesthetic even more" than they did. Feinberg called Giacchino's score "the standout element that ties everything together". In his review for ''Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'', David Fear said "''Werewolf by Night'' feels less like a franchise detour than a fun day trip into previously untrampled genre territory." He continued that Giacchino's direction had "a great sense of how to sustain a mood without losing momentum" and praised the cinematography and Russell's werewolf transformation.
Chris Evangelista of '' /Film'' gave ''Werewolf by Night'' a 7 out of 10, describing the television special as "a quick, violent, funny monster movie homage, and it's perfect for Halloween." He praised the use of practical effects for the werewolf's portrayal as opposed to CGI and the black-and-white cinematography styles. Germain Lussier at '' Gizmodo'' described the special as "a beautiful, over-the-top, entertaining short that would work even if it had nothing to do with Marvel". He did feel the pace of the special prevented being able to fully take in all the characters and encounters presented. Marisa Mirabal of ''IndieWire
IndieWire (sometimes stylized as indieWIRE or Indiewire) is a film industry and review website that was established in 1996. The site's focus was predominantly independent film, although its coverage has grown to "to include all aspects of Holl ...
'' gave the special "B+", enjoying the design work of Shimoguchi and White, Giacchino's "larger-than-life score", and the use of practical effects. Though she was impressed by the balance of violence and comedy in the special, along with a "tight and concise" storyline, she noted that because of its short run time, "the characters erenot able to be fully developed and explored".
Documentary special
In September 2022, a documentary special for ''Werewolf by Night'' was announced from Marvel Studios Unscripted Content and Michael Giacchino's brother Anthony
Anthony or Antony is a masculine given name, derived from the '' Antonii'', a ''gens'' ( Roman family name) to which Mark Antony (''Marcus Antonius'') belonged. According to Plutarch, the Antonii gens were Heracleidae, being descendants of Anton, ...
, who served as the writer and director. The documentary, titled ''Director by Night'', goes behind the scenes at the making of ''Werewolf by Night'' and explores Michael Giacchino's style, vision, and dream for directing, and includes 8 mm film footage Giacchino shot in his childhood. ''Director by Night'' was released on Disney+ on November 4, 2022, marketed with the "Marvel Studios Special Presentation" branding.
Future
In September 2022, Gay said that ''Werewolf by Night'' would begin to explore a variety of monsters that have existed in the MCU for centuries, such as artwork featured in the special. Furthermore, he stated that the idea was to have such monsters appear in future projects. Gay also explained the special's ending intentionally left Russell and Bloodstone "totally changed" and in "a space that they did not expect to find themselves in", and felt it was the beginning for their characters but was uncertain if they would return. Feige said the special would introduce a part of the MCU that would become "quite important" to its future.
References
External links
* at Marvel.com
Marvel Entertainment, LLC (formerly Marvel Enterprises) is an American entertainment company founded in June 1998 and based in New York City, New York, formed by the merger of Marvel Entertainment Group and Toy Biz. The company is a wholly own ...
*
*
{{Portal bar, Television, United States, Speculative fiction, Comics
2020s American television specials
2020s English-language films
2020s monster movies
2020s superhero films
2022 directorial debut films
2022 television films
2022 television specials
American action horror films
American black-and-white films
American dark fantasy films
American horror television films
American monster movies
American werewolf films
Disney+ original films
Fantasy television films
Films scored by Michael Giacchino
Films set in country houses
Halloween television specials
Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase Four mass media
Marvel Studios Special Presentations
Television about werewolves
Television shows filmed at Trilith Studios
Television shows filmed in Atlanta
Television shows filmed in Georgia (U.S. state)
Television shows scored by Michael Giacchino
Works by Michael Giacchino