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.

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,

“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.

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.