Two Iconic Universal Monster Movies Get New Streaming Home Before the Franchise Gets Revived This Month

Set to hit theaters in just two weeks, Blumhouse Productions and Universal Pictures are attempting to revive one of the most iconic characters in cinematic history with Leigh Whannell’s Wolf Man. Having previously delivered audiences The Invisible Man in 2020, which managed to put a new spin on the iconic tale, Whannell looks to once again honor the history of the character while also exploring new elements of the horrifying ordeal. Whether you’re a newcomer to the character or need a refresher of the source material, fans can now watch both the 1941 The Wolf Man and the 2010 The Wolfman reboot on Peacock. The new Wolf Man is set to hit theaters on January 17th.

Larry Talbot’s terrifying transformation into a werewolf is a journey that many horror fans consider to be a seminal entry in the roster of Universal Monsters. However, while the power of the original The Wolf Man is undeniable, the character’s debut came later on in the studio’s slate of terror.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and The Phantom of the Opera are the first official Universal Monsters movies, but with these being silent movies, many fans consider the 1931 Dracula to be the true origin of the franchise. In addition to Dracula embracing the evolution of sound, the nature of the story allowed it to earn sequels, whereas Universal’s initial trio of silent adaptations were standalone adventures. The success of the Bela Lugosi-starring Dracula resulted in the Boris Karloff-starring Frankenstein, with Karloff also bringing to life the decrepit monster in The Mummy. Claude Rains would star in The Invisible Man, while Frankenstein’s Monster returned in Bride of Frankenstein, which featured the addition of Elsa Lanchester as the titular character. Dracula, The Mummy, Frankenstein, and The Invisible Man would all get follow-up films before Lon Chaney Jr.’s Wolf Man made his debut.

[RELATED – Wolf Man Director Reveals Fan-Favorite Horror Movies Influenced Reboot]

The original The Wolf Man might be the most seminal werewolf movie put to screen, but it would go on to inspire a number of thrilling tales of lycanthropes. In 1981 alone, audiences were given An American Werewolf in London and The Howling, both of which were compelling stories in their own right, though they were elevated to nightmarish levels thanks to boundary-pushing makeup effects. Werewolves might not have ever gotten as popular as vampires in the realm of horror movies, largely because the creatures came with inherent visual-effects challenges as compared to more human-presenting vampires. Still, movies like Wolf, Ginger Snaps, Dog Soldiers, and the Underworld series have all offered up audiences riveting tales of terror.

In 2010, director Joe Johnston and star Benicio del Toro teamed up for a new take on the Wolf Man, which also starred Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt, and Hugo Weaving. Iconic makeup artist Rick Baker, who previously worked on An American Werewolf in London, The Howling, Wolf, Cursed, and dozens of other legendary works, was enlisted to develop the look for the titular monster. While the makeup effects were undeniably unsettling, Johnston was only hired to direct the movie three weeks before shooting began, forcing the project to embrace heavy amounts of CGI. Reliance on visual effects and an overall messy narrative failed to excite audiences or critics, as it would only take in $142.6 million worldwide (against a reported budget of $150 million) and it sits at 32% positive reviews on aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes. Even though The Mummy revival a decade earlier was a massive success, earning multiple sequels, this The Wolfman failed to leave much of an impact on werewolf cinema.

Thanks in large part to the success of Whannell’s The Invisible Man, as well as the overall lack of big-screen werewolf stories in recent years, the upcoming Wolf Man is a highly anticipated experience among horror fans. Wolf Man hits theaters on January 17th.

What’s your favorite werewolf movie? Contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter or on Instagram to talk all things Star Wars and horror!