Ya know as opposed to all of those daytime werewolves...
Werewolf by Night is an American television special directed by Michael Giacchino and written by Heather Quinn and Peter Cameron for the streaming service Disney+, based on the Marvel Comics featuring the character of the same name. Following the death of their fearless leader, Ulysses Bloodstone, a team of elite monster hunters gathers at the towering Bloodstone Manor. It's now time for the trackers--including the cursed aristocrat Jack Russell and the patriarch's estranged daughter Elsa--to prepare for a ceremonial hunt to determine who will wield the Blood Gem: a mysterious, alien relic with unfathomable powers. However, as the fragrant scent of warm, bright-red blood fills the air, the masks will fall off. And on a restless, moonlit night like this, there can only be one keeper of the sacred Bloodstone. Who will take over as the monster slayers' new chief?
I though at first this was some new marvel project made just for the spooky season, but I was surprised to learn this micro movie had been in the works for over a decade. The Marvel Comics character Werewolf by Night was planned for a feature film by May 2001, with a story developed by Marvel Studios' Avi Arad, Kevin Feige, and Ari Arad. hard to say how much of that first draft remains intact since eventually this series was rewritten by Heather Quinn and Peter Cameron, from a story by Quinn. Quinn previously wrote for the Marvel Studios Disney+ series Hawkeye and Cameron wrote for both WandaVision and Moon Knight. I can't say I have seen any of their previous work but I am more than aware of just how beloved some of those shows have become in such a short time, and a Halloween special is the perfect foot in the door for a DC fan such as myself.
I cannot express how hyped I was to learn that this movie was in black and white, and just how much it would lean into the UNIVERSAL classic style of filmmaking. the folks behind this movie had assumed Werewolf by Night would be rated TV-MA given its use of blood and the scare elements, but felt that it being in black and white helped it be rated TV-14. it's incredible to see all of that MARVEL money thrown into something that is so directly horror and damn near instantly I was excited to see where this was going.
going in I thought this was something I might enjoy, but I was not prepared for just how awesome this was. Not only do we get a rouges gallery of monsters, but a rouges gallery of unique hunters that are equally compelling. Marvel has promised us horror in the past and failed to deliver with movies like THE NEW MUTANTS, DARK PHOENIX, and even the VENOM series of films, but this is unquestionably the first time MARVEL has gotten horror right. It's packed full of wonderful tension, suspense, gorgeous directing, and some surprisingly satisfying action scenes that make sure you never get bored. It is an idea films such as AVP have failed to pull off in an effective way, and it's awesome to see a classic story finally brought to its full potential.
and speaking of potential...
Co-executive producer, Brian Gay said that Werewolf by Night would begin to explore a variety of monsters that have existed in the MCU for centuries, such as artwork featured in the special. Furthermore, he stated that the idea was to have such monsters appear in future projects. Gay also explained the special's ending intentionally left Russell and Bloodstone "totally changed" and in "a space that they did not expect to find themselves in", and felt it was the beginning for their characters but was uncertain if they would return. Feige said the special would introduce a part of the MCU that would become "quite important" to its future.
hard to say if we will get any more of this delicious content again, but i sure as shit hope so.
long live MAN THING
9/10
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