The latest adaptation of the classic ‘Wolf Man’ has struggled at the box office, earning just $3.4 million in its second weekend. This marks a significant 68.9% drop from its opening weekend, pushing the film out of the top 5 domestic grossers list. With a current domestic total of $17.9 million, ‘Wolf Man’ is expected to finish its run with a gross between $23 to $28 million.
The film, which had a production budget of $25 million (excluding marketing expenses), now faces an uphill battle to recover its costs. Directed by Leigh Whannell, ‘Wolf Man’ stars Christopher Abbott, Julia Garner, and Sam Jaeger. The plot follows a family man who must protect his wife and daughter from a werewolf, only to fall victim to the creature’s curse himself.
The film’s production was troubled from the start. It was initially announced in 2014 as part of Universal’s Dark Universe, a shared cinematic universe of the studio’s classic monsters.
Box office performance struggles
However, following the failure of ‘The Mummy’ (2017), the project underwent significant changes. Whannell’s success with ‘The Invisible Man’ in 2020 rekindled interest in the Universal Monsters franchise, leading the studio to adopt a standalone approach to its reboots. Ryan Gosling was initially set to star but dropped out in late 2023.
Whannell stepped in as director with a new cast, and principal photography took place in New Zealand in early 2024. The film’s creature design has also been a point of criticism. Concept artist Constantine Sekeris shared rejected designs online, showcasing more hair and a savage appearance compared to the final, relatively hairless design.
Whannell noted that Heath Ledger’s Joker in ‘The Dark Knight’ influenced the early stages of Abbott’s character design, aiming to bring an innovative spirit to ‘Wolf Man’. Despite the creative journey and imaginative possibilities explored, ‘Wolf Man’ has struggled to meet expectations, casting doubt on its ability to revive Universal’s classic monster appeal.