Johnston Confirmed for WOLFMAN

By: Jarrod Sarafin, News Editor
Date: Monday, February 04, 2008
Source: Variety

Universal Pictures said a few days ago that they would have a new director locked up for The Wolfman and they weren't kidding around. Nearly a week after Mark Romanek exited due to "creative differences", director Joe Johnston (Hidalgo, Jurassic Park III) has been confirmed by Variety. The trade says that producers Scott Stuber and Mary Parent played a critical part in keeing this 85 million budgeted film on track, despite the director shake-up. Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins and Emily Blunt are still set to star in the film and make-up wizard Rick Baker (American Werewolf in London) is still set to handle the creature effects. Production will begin next month in London.

Plot Concept: Like the 1941 original that starred Lon Chaney Jr., except the new film will be set in Victorian England. Del Toro will play a man who returns from America to his ancestral homeland, gets bitten by a werewolf and begins a hairy moonlight existence. FX maestro Rick Baker is on lycanthrope duties bringing "The Wolfman" to life.

The Wolfman will hit theaters Feb 13, 2009.

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Comments/Responses

Hobbs • Feb 03, 2008, 10:20pm •

$85 mil budget..whoa...think that may be just a little bit too much. As far as director is concerned to be honest I didn't care who directed this movie wheter it was Ratner or whoever but I suppose Johnston is at good as any. Maybe as this movie gets closer I'll be more interested but right now not so much.

mckracken • Feb 03, 2008, 11:32pm •

Joe Johnson is a much much better choice than Brett Ratner.
I think that $85 mill budget, its most likely being well spent on the Victorian England period sets that they had to create from scratch. Del Toro isnt THAT overpaid and neither is Joe Johnson. Neither is Rick Baker's efx for that matter.

Miner49er • Feb 03, 2008, 11:59pm •

Damn it. I was hoping it was going to be Stephen Sommers...

not.

PopeyesBitch • Feb 04, 2008, 04:27am •

Is that the SAME Joe Johnston who started out as a conceptial artist (next to Ralph McQuarrie) for the original STAR WARS Trilogy? Isn't $85 million an budget for producing a movie? Anyone know?

Dazzler • Feb 04, 2008, 04:32am •

Sounds like this guy was on stand-by in case this happened.

tiredjay • Feb 04, 2008, 06:31am •

It's the same Johnston, but he wasn't a conceptual artist, per se. He designed/built the models.

monkeyfoot • Feb 04, 2008, 07:27am •

Yes, Johnston got started with Lucasfilms doing a variety of things and decided to do directing and worked his way up thru alot of commercial work. Most recently Jurassic Park III.
In the original Star Wars when you see the Millenium Falcon being pulled into the Death Star and there are two stormtroopers standing on the outside of the hangar deck, he is actually both of them.

WISEGUY562 • Feb 04, 2008, 08:47am •

I think Johnston is a pretty good choice. He's got a decent resume, albeit short. And I can understand the 85mil budget. It is set in Victorian England, so you'll need to build several sets, wardrobe and if you want good production value none of that is cheap.

muchdrama • Feb 04, 2008, 02:49pm •

Nothing wrong with this news. Joe Johnston is a capable director.

MovieMan • Feb 04, 2008, 04:25pm •

I did not like JP3 thats all I have to say, well it was ok just not as good as the first two.

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Johnston Confirmed for WOLFMAN

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