Canadian golden boy Ryan Gosling took a step back from the movie industry for a few years after First Man in 2018. Now, he’s back with a bang. After taking on the lead role in The Gray Man for Netflix, Gosling is set to star in Barbie and The Fall Guy in 2023 and 2024 respectively.
The 41-year-old has long been mooted to be playing the title role in Universal’s reboot of The Wolf Man, but there hasn’t been any recent news about the title. Is this project still happening and will it be a hit with viewers?
Gosling Could Appear as the Classic Monster
When Universal Pictures started planning its reboot of The Wolf Man back in 2014, the studio struck an initial deal with Dwayne Johnson to star in the project. The Hollywood A-lister dropped out, though, and Gosling was deemed a good fit to carry the mantle. As it stands, there has been no official confirmation that the movie is in production. However, there are enough rumours to suggest that work on it is gathering pace.
After confirming Gosling as the Wolf Man in 2020, Lauren Shuker Blum and Rebecca Angelo penned the script based on some ideas from the actor himself. The Canadian star was also considering directing the picture, but he decided to opt out and focus on acting. Leigh Whannell is currently in negotiations to sit in the chair, according to the latest reports.
Will The Wolf Man be a Hit?
It’s hard to say whether acting in The Wolf man represents a gamble for Gosling or not. The Dark Universe that Universal Studios had originally planned out was a complete flop, and it started and ended with The Mummy in 2017. After that failed at the box office and with review sites like The Guardian, the studio decided to scrap the shared universe concept and focus on standalone reboots of its classic monster films instead.
As a picture on its own that doesn’t try to tie in other offerings, The Wolf Man has the potential to be a success. The original 1941 title from George Waggner was hugely popular and led to four sequels. The character may not be as iconic as others like the Invisible Man and Frankenstein’s monster, but it did kickstart werewolf themes in entertainment and the genre has endured to this day.
Looking at the prevalence of werewolves in the gaming industry suggests there will be a huge audience for the reboot. In Canada alone, there are countless games to choose from with a werewolf theme. For instance, Bonusfinder Canada recommends Lucky Days Casino for its free spins bonus and first deposit match. The site is packed full of titles like Curse of the Werewolf, Wolf Night, Wolf Call, and Wolf Guardian. Slot developers tend to make games that appeal to the masses, and these titles show that there are loads of people out there interested in wolf themes.
Since moving away from the shared universe concept, the rebooting of the classic monster films has received more positive feedback from publications like Roger Ebert. The Wolf Man would be a great title to revisit with modern technology, and if it’s a success it could lead to more sequels. Gosling has the chance to make the character his own if he puts in a memorable performance.
