Leigh Whannell Talks ‘The Invisible Woman’ Rejection and Ryan Gosling’s ‘Wolf Man’ Departure

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I’ve always been captivated by the cinematic universe-building attempts, and when Universal Pictures’ “Dark Universe” failed to live up to the Marvel standard, it was Blumhouse that stepped into the limelight with their unique spin on timeless movie monsters. One of their most successful endeavors was “The Invisible Man,” a film that garnered critical acclaim and raked in an impressive $144.5 million worldwide on a modest budget of only $7 million.

Following his work on “The Invisible Man,” film director Leigh Whannell has now turned his attention towards a project revolving around the character known as “Wolf Man.” There have been discussions for quite some time about a sequel that would center around Elisabeth Moss’s character, who could potentially be referred to as the “Invisible Woman.

Jason Blum and James Wan have suggested they might carry on with the tale, but Whannell himself has expressed no desire to direct a follow-up film according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Whannell shared that creating an ending is undeniably one of the most challenging aspects of scriptwriting, expressing his respect for films such as Se7en, which he had a chance to watch in IMAX more recently.

He expressed his contentment with how “The Invisible Man” concluded and has no intention of expanding upon that narrative further. Unlike many instances in Hollywood where sequels are produced to profit off a film’s success, Whannell seems happy keeping the tale just as it stands.

The most challenging aspect of screenwriting is crafting an effective conclusion. A compelling ending in a movie is like the ultimate achievement in screenwriting, and I hold such films in high regard. Recently, I watched Se7en at the Chinese Theatre in IMAX, a film I’ve seen numerous times. However, viewing it on a large screen only served to emphasize how exceptional that closing scene truly is. As a screenwriter, I can’t help but admire and envy its power.

As a movie enthusiast, I must express my admiration for the powerful ending of The Invisible Man, specifically the ‘Denouement’ track. Frankly, I find it hard to envision adding more narrative elements to such a satisfying conclusion. It seems that sequels are often motivated by Hollywood economics rather than artistic integrity – “We made a hit, let’s make another one and bring them back for more.” Over the years, I’ve observed this trend closely.

I’ve penned two films, “Saw” and “Insidious,” which have spawned successful series with varying levels of critical acclaim. I won’t pretend that every movie in the “Saw” saga is… At this point, I find myself watching it from the sidelines.

I was incredibly satisfied with the ending of Invisible Man that I don’t feel compelled to continue the story from an artistic perspective. However, financially, there might be pressure to extend the series as studios often want to generate more income. From an artistic point of view, though, I prefer to keep the narrative closed – like a beautifully shut door.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

Apart from discussing the intricacies of producing “Wolf Man”, the filmmaker also shared insights on the hurdles encountered during production. Originally collaborating with Ryan Gosling, complications in schedules unfortunately postponed the project.

Ultimately, Whannell shifted focus to different endeavors, but later revisited Wolf Man, picking up where he left off with the script. Regrettably, Gosling was unable to stay involved due to his packed calendar. Despite the unexpected developments, Whannell was pleased to have completed the movie.

At first, I collaborated with Ryan Gosling on a project. He was set to star in it, and we were both working on its development. However, scheduling conflicts arose, so I decided to shift gears and focus on another endeavor. Eventually, the project resurfaced, which I was pleased about because I could revisit and continue with the script that I had previously written. I simply picked up where I left off.

Unfortunately, due to his busy schedule, Ryan couldn’t proceed with the project; however, it turned out to be a more intricate journey than my previous experiences. In contrast to films like Upgrade and The Invisible Man where the process was A, B, C – write, find financiers, cast, shoot – this filmmaking journey was incredibly twisty. Yet, I’m overjoyed that I had the opportunity to embark on this winding path and bring the film to life.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

The movie titled “Wolf Man” features Sam Jaeger, Ben Prendergast, and Benedict Hardie, along with fresh faces such as Zac Chandler, Beatriz Romilly, and Milo Cawthorne. Directed by Whannell, who also co-wrote the script with Corbett Tuck, “Wolf Man” is now showing in cinemas.

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2025-01-18 21:14