The staggering natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest becomes a bloodied hunting ground in writer-director Leigh Whannell's latest stab at monster mayhem: Wolf Man (now playing in theaters everywhere;

The writer-director was partially inspired by a close friend who died of ALS, but ultimatley lost a scene involving the affliction: "That's definitely one that hurt when I took it out."

Leigh Whannell, Corbett Tuck, Lauren Schuker Blum, Rebecca Angelo Starring: Christopher Abbott, Julia Garner, Matilda Firth, Sam Jaeger Rated: R for bloody violent content, grisly images and some language.

“Wolf Man” then jumps ahead 30 years, to adult Blake (Christopher Abbott) out in a busy San Francisco enjoying daddy-daughter time with young Ginger (Matilda Firth). Like his father, he is very protective of his child, scolding her for not getting down from a construction structure she walks atop the moment he tells her to do so.

For better, there's been 2020's The Invisible Man, in which writer/director Leigh Whannell left his supernatural leanings from the Insidious franchise behind for a more sci-fi-rooted horror. His Wolf Man has a similarly grim and grounded approach,

The filmmaker reveals the movies he screened for the Universal Monsters rebooters, discusses the importance of practical effects, and whether Bigfoot could be a Wolfman.

For the entirety of Leigh Whannell's screenwriting career, the horror veteran has shown the gift of being able to make audiences cower in terror inside a darkened movie theater, and then, come back for more.

Leigh Whannell’s horror film Wolf Man hopes to join Den of Thieves 2: Pantera at the top of the weekend’s box office when it opens on January 17th, but judging by the mixed reviews from critics, it’s unclear how likely that’ll be.