Wolfman Reboot To Be Rebooted

I don’t know if this is some kind of record. But I can’t recall another reboot project that has so quickly gotten the boot (pardon the pun), and replaced with a new version.

Joe Johnston’s trainwreck “The Wolfman”, which was a reboot of Universal Studios’ old movies, was a critical and box office dud. It didn’t even manage to live up to the promise of Rick Baker’s make-up effects, since the “American Werewolf In London” maestro’s work was all but replaced by piss-poor CGI. In spite of that, late last year Universal announced their intentions to do a sequel, with Hugo Weaving reprising his role. A story treatment was even commissioned. Things have changed.

Moviehole today reported that Universal has dropped all sequel plans like a hot turd. The studio is moving full steam ahead with a reboot of sorts. Titled “Werewolf”, it’s based on the 1941 George Waggner film. Writer Michael Tabb has reworked the previous sequel treatment into a standalone story that ignores Johnston’s pic. Demonstrating their seriousness, they’ve also hired a director, with Louis Morneau helming. The guy who gave us direct-to-DVD hits like “Joyride 2: Dead Ahead” doesn’t exactly inspire confidence, so don’t hold your hopes up for this to be any good. Who knows, this fella might drop out of the project, just as “The Wolfman” lost its original director, the genuinely talented Mark Romanek. I’ve a soft spot for werewolf flicks, and I’m still waiting for a good one to be made by this era’s filmmakers.