Wolf Man Director Calls Out Halloween Horror Nights Makeup as “Spirit Halloween” Version

Last month, horror fans at Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando Resort got a glimpse of the titular Wolf Man form Blumhouse’s upcoming Wolf Man movie but pretty soon after images and footage of the iconic Universal Monster made their way online, fans were a bit confused as to whether this was really the final look for the character. Now, speaking with ComicBook at New York Comic Con, director Leigh Whannell is setting the record straight — and calling out Halloween Horror Nights’ version of the character as the “Spirit Halloween” version that isn’t much like what fans will see in the movie.

“First of all, we’ve got Arjen Tuiten doing the makeup and he’s a genius, the level of makeup that he can do,” Whannell said. “It’s kind of like, without spoiling anything, it’s like comparing a costume at Spirit Halloween to Rick Baker’s makeup. There’s a level of lighting and artistry. I can confidently tell you that the Halloween Horror Nights Wolf Man they had running around is not much like what we have going.”

For reference, the Halloween Horror Nights version of the Wolf Man is a far cry from the more monstrous versions that have previously been represented in cinema with the theme park’s offering being more like a grizzled old man with large, wolf-like claws and a white beard.

Wolf Man stars Christopher Abbott (Poor Things, It Comes at Night) as Blake, Julia Garner (Ozark, Inventing Anna) as Charlotte, and Matilda Firth (Hullraisers, Coma) as Ginger. In the film, Blake inherits his remote childhood home in rural Oregon after his own father vanishes and is presumed dead. With his marriage to his high-powered wife, Charlotte, fraying, Blake persuades Charlotte to take a break from the city and visit the property with their young daughter, Ginger. But as the family approaches the farmhouse in the dead of night, they’re attacked by an unseen animal and, in a desperate escape, barricade themselves inside the home as the creature prowls the perimeter. As the night stretches on, however, Blake begins to behave strangely, transforming into something unrecognizable, and Charlotte will be forced to decide whether the terror within their house is more lethal than the danger without.

Wolf Man also stars Sam Jaeger (The Handmaid’s Tale), Ben Prendergast (The Sojourn Audio Drama) and Benedict Hardie (The Invisible Man). Leigh Whannell also co-wrote the screenplay alongside Corbett Tuck, Lauren Schuker Blum & Rebecca Angelo (Dumb Money). Blumhouse Pictures produces the film alongside Universal.

Wolf Man is set to open in theaters on January 17, 2025.