Even a man who is pure at heart…
Hard to think of a more troubled monster show in recent years than Universal’s newest stab at The Wolfman.
From promising beginnings (enter an excellent cast, and a promising director, Hollywood’s biggest make-up legend), to shattering disasters (exit a promising director), to mad shuffling (enter Joe Johnston, how happy is Baker with the final product? and HOW many editors are cutting the picture?), The Wolfman – still due for release on February 12 – has already seen it all.
This November, the studio now famously screened two differing cuts of the film, and the nature of those cuts and purpose behind the dual (not duel, as we’ll get to) tests has been vague for some time. With the filmmakers aiming for an R, was the studio hedging its bets with a more PG-13-ish cut?
Earlier this month it was reported editing legends Walter Murch (THX-1138, Apocalypse Now, The English Patient) and Mark Goldblatt (Terminator‘s 1 and 2) were finessing a final cut of the film. Again, the exact nature of this arrangement has been mysterious.
All this preamble is leading to something of an anticlimax (I hope so, actually), because according to interviews producer Scott Stuber has given to many sources (read Chud and Ain’t It Cool’s notable coverage), all is… more or less, well.
I’ll quickly run through a few major points here:
1) The film is finished and has been finished for some time (that is to say, the cut has been locked, work still continues on sound, music, VFX, etc. I’m sure)
2) Unlike what had been rumored, there are not “competing” cuts of the movie, both Universal (represented by exec Donna Langley) and director Joe Johnston are happy with the cut of the film.
3) The film IS Rated R, the rating is and has been locked for some time and this is not going to change, no cuts are happening to lessen gore
4) Murch was brought in to offer a “fresh perspective” on the film (which had been, I think it’s fair to say, mired in post-production for almost a year and a half); Goldblatt was brought in to work on a specific, complicated set-piece
I’m glad to see someone, especially as high in the scheme of things as Stuber, officially addressing the worrying rumors that have been pouring in for some time now. I can’t stress enough how much I’m rooting for this production; these are talented filmmakers with a love for the character who have worked tremendously hard. This deserves to be a great, classy, monster film. Suffice it to say, I’m very hopeful.
But you’d better believe I’m saying my prayers by night.
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