News

From the streets of late-night cult cinema to the back alleys of a bruised and battered city, The Arbiter comes locked and loaded with bone-crunching violence and a dark streak of humour. The latest film from writer-director Marc Price, it imagines a fragile truce between rival gangs as they attempt to unite against a far more brutal enemy. But with betrayal lurking in the shadows, peace is never more than a smashed jaw away.

Price is no stranger to bold, low-budget filmmaking. His 2008 debut Colin became a festival sensation, praised by the likes of Martin Scorsese and ultimately enshrined in the BFI archives. Since then, he has continued to forge a career built on high-energy,...

A pick of our favourite reader responses to a question raised by Jaws’ 50th anniversary: which films did you watch at too young an age…?

Last week, in the wake of Jaws’ 50th anniversary, we asked: what films did you see at too young an age? For this writer it was – surprise, surprise – the TV premiere of the aforementioned 1975 shark thriller, which made such an impression on my four year-old mind that I refused to paddle in the sea for months afterwards.

“It was Jaws for me too,” says Film Stories reader Big Dunc. “I was seven when it was on TV for the first time, and I made it as far as the head popping out of the boat. I then took myself to bed but couldn’t sleep because I was too freaked out. I’m pretty sure I slept with the light on for a few weeks after that.

Killer Collectibles highlights five of the most exciting new horror products announced each and every week, from toys and apparel to artwork, records, and much more.

Here are the coolest horror collectibles unveiled this week!

An American Werewolf in London Pop! from Funko

Earlier this year, Funko revealed an American Werewolf in London Pop! of David Kessler in human form. That was cool and all, but what horror fans really want is the iconic werewolf.

It’s finally coming in June in the form a Super Pop! that measures 3.5″ tall and 6″ long, priced at $24.99.

Final Destination Shirts from Pentagram Peter Pan

It’s fun to have Final Destination back in the zeitgeist thanks to Bloodlines, and Pentagram Peter Pan has new shirts dedicated to two of franchise’s films.

It’s hard to top Final Destination 2‘s opening premonition that changed the way we look at log trucks, but...

Beware the moon, because Rucking Fotten‘s has released an American Werewolf in London collection.

It includes T-shirts ($33.99-34.99), long sleeves ($43.99), all-over print tees ($59.99), zip-up hoodies ($74.99), embroidered dad hats ($36.99), and 60×50 woven blanket tapestries ($62.99).

“An American Werewolf in London set the standard for werewolf movies for the next 4+ decades and will be a staple in the horror genre for the rest of our lives. I remember seeing it for the first time as a child and the transformation that Rick Baker created terrified me to my core. I still get chills when I watch that scene,” Rucking Fotten wrote.

“This movie was classic before it was even released, and 41 years later it’s standing the test of time. We wanted to revamp our original design released in 2019 and bring to life new designs that capture what this movie has meant to us over the years. We hope everyone loves it as much as we do!

Following a successful reinvention of The Invisible Man, writer-director Leigh Whannell set his sights on another classic Universal monster with Wolf Man.

Among the special features on the newly released physical media editions is an audio commentary by the ever-jovial Whannell, with much of the insight directed toward aspiring filmmakers.

Here are nine things I learned from the Wolf Man commentary track…

1. Blue Velvet influenced the opening shot.

The opening shot of the movie, in which ants attack a wasp, proved to be difficult both logistically and practically.

“Quite difficult to wrangle insects. We had to get an insect wrangler in New Zealand,” which stood in for Oregon. “And of course, these ants are attacking this wasp, but this wasp has to live. You have to free the wasp. It was definitely one of those shots that you have to fight for in a movie.”

Whannell was inspired by the...

The werewolf sub-genre has gotten a lot of love lately. Between last year's Werewolves and this year's Wolf Man remake from Universal, horror fans have had a handful of new nightmares to howl over. That being said, there's still one 80s classic that remains the gold standard for every lycan-centric film. This would be An American Werewolf in London. Now, almost 45 years later, American Werewolf returns with a new killer Funko Pop.

This article contains mild spoilers for "Wolf Man."

The centerpiece of any werewolf movie is its transformation sequence. Starting with George Waggner's "The Wolf Man" in 1941, witnessing a human being turn into a hairy, wolf-like beast has attracted horror nuts in droves. In "The Wolf Man," Lon Chaney, Jr. sat still in a chair for a static shot of his face. Then the film's brilliant makeup technicians would add a small layer of makeup and hair, and Chaney would be shot again. Several shots were layered together using clever cross-fading, giving the impression that he was transforming. It looks awesome to this day.

1981 was also a banner year for werewolf transformation, as it saw the release of Joe Dante's "The Howling" and John Landis' "An American Werewolf in London." Both of those films made extensive use of makeup, puppetry, models, and rubber creature heads to create some truly terrifying werewolf transformations.

It has been nearly 17 years since Oscar winner Heath Ledger’s death, and now his one-time co-star, Julia Stiles, is remembering the actor. Stiles starred with Ledger in 1999’s classic teen romantic comedy 10 Things I Hate About You. Per People, Stiles, while promoting the film Wish You Were Here on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen, touched on working with Ledger on the movie.

“He was such a force,” said Stiles, who co-wrote and makes her directorial debut with Wish You Were Here, which hits theaters Jan. 17. “He walked into a room and just lit it up and had so much energy and passion, and it’s really sad that he’s gone,” Stiles said.

Ledger died on Jan. 22, 2008, at the age of 28, of an accidental overdose of prescription medications including OxyContin, Vicodin, Xanax, Valium, Restoril, and Unisom, per the Los Angeles Times. He was posthumously awarded an...

The highly anticipated horror film Wolf Man, directed by Leigh Whannell, is set to hit theaters on January 17, 2025, marking the seventh installment in Universal’s Wolf Man franchise.

Starring Christopher Abbott as the lead character Blake, the film explores a chilling transformation that redefines the classic werewolf narrative. A recently released clip offers audiences the most detailed glimpse yet of this reimagined monster.

The story follows Blake, a family man who moves from San Francisco to rural Oregon with his wife Charlotte (played by Emmy winner Julia Garner) and their daughter Ginger (Matilda Firth). They relocate to Blake’s childhood home after inheriting the property, left vacant following his father’s mysterious disappearance.

The suspense begins when, on a moonlit night, the family is attacked by a werewolf. Although they manage to barricade themselves inside, Blake is clawed during the encounter, setting off his horrifying transformation.

The new footage captures this transformation in graphic detail,...

A new clip has been released from the upcoming horror movie Wolf Man. The video reveals the best look yet at the reimagining of the iconic Universal Monster.

Directed by Leigh Whannell (The Invisible Man), Wolf Man is hitting theaters on Jan. 17, 2025. Up to this point, filmgoers have not yet gotten a very clear look at the titular monster in the film, but a new preview that was just released changes that. The clip picks up in mid-transformation with Christopher Abbott transforming into a werewolf. It's not a super-brief clip, spanning over a minute long, and it showcases the completion of the transformation. The video can be watched below.

First look at the wolfman in Wolf Man.In theaters January 17.pic.twitter.com/ZiJqMGB9v6— Cbr (@Cbr) January 7, 2025

Related The Sims 4: Fan-Favorite Werewolf Greg Has a Surprising Amount of Lore

Greg became a celebrity of The Sims 4. He has...

Presented by Steven C. Miller’s Werewolves, Bloody Disgusting is looking to the stars and howling at the moon with Werewolves Week. Today, Luiz H.C. explores the evolution of the werewolf/wolfman throughout cinema history.

Werewolf stories are much, much older than most folks seem to realize, with some of the earliest examples of lycanthropy dating all the way back to ancient Greece (though some scholars argue that wolfmen were already present in the Epic of Gilgamesh). That’s why I’ve always found it fascinating that much of what we’d consider to be the basis for modern werewolf mythology and iconography was actually made up by genre filmmakers.

From full moon transformations to pentagrams marking potential victims, werewolf lore is continuously being expanded by screenwriters attempting to make sense of thousands of years of oral tradition. And in honor of Steven C. Miller’s Werewolves in theaters...

After tackling The Invisible Man, writer/director Leigh Whannell set his sights on updating another iconic Universal Horror Monster: The Wolf Man. There have been many different incarnations of the Wolf Man character, but Whannell told ScreenRant that his version is unlike any that have come before it, adding that he even took inspiration from Heath Ledger’s Joker.

“I lined up all the different versions, I had a Pdf of everyone from Lon Chaney to David Norton in American Werewolf, The Howling, Dog Soldiers. I had every look in front of me, and I’m kind of staring at it, and I’m like, ‘All right, so where do I fit in?’” Whannell explained. “You know what a big inspiration to me was, was Heath Ledger’s version of the Joker. Not so much in terms of look, but I had a photo of him on my desk as...

The Funko booth at New York Comic Con (Nycc) 2024 offered an exciting and vibrant experience that was a must-visit for collectors and fans. Here’s a detailed review of what made it stand out this year:

Booth Design & Atmosphere

Funko’s booth was visually stunning and cleverly designed, embodying their signature playful, colorful style. The setup this year was themed as Funko Airways, providing plenty of perfect photo opportunities. The vibrant, oversized displays showcased the latest and most sought-after exclusives, instantly drawing the eye of fans and collectors alike. There were also themed sections based on popular franchises, making it easy to navigate the booth and spot the latest figures.

Check out our behind-the-scenes tour below:

@ageofthenerd Destination fun on Funko Airways!! Our behind-the-scenes tour of Funko at New York Comic Con 2024! #nycc #nycc2024 #funko #mondo #loungefly #collectibles #funkopop ♬ Get Ready – Steve Aoki Vocal Radio Edit – 2 Unlimited

Exclusive Releases

As expected,...

The upcoming Wolf Man reboot is going to introduce a unique depiction of the titular creature unlike anything seen in prior films made about the Universal Monster. Going with an untraditional design for the film was influenced by Heath Ledger's Joker.

Wolf Man director Leigh Whannell, who also directed the hit Invisible Man reboot released in 2020, addressed the new film in an interview with Screen Rant at New York Comic Con. Whannell commented on the creature's design, sharing the story behind how he settled upon how the movie's werewolf will appear. It began with simultaneously looking at images of previous depictions of werewolves in film and deciding that his movie's version needed to be unique. The director also shared how Heath Ledger's bold new approach to the Joker in The Dark Knight was highly influential in choosing to go with a design that was far unlike the other depictions.

Leigh Whannell, the modern master of horror who wrote films like Saw and Insidious and directed Upgrade and The Invisible Man, is set to scare audiences out of their minds with his newest take on a Universal classic, Wolf Man. And while some people may have seen a bit of what things will look like with both The Wolf Man's trailer and the film being featured extensively in Halloween Horror Nights, Whannell is coming out to set the record straight: What people saw with Halloween Horror Nights isn't what will be seen in the movie. Period.

Whannell's Wolf Man is set to be released in theaters on January 17, 2025, and the director is taking a few breaks from post-production in order to clarify some misconceptions people may have in regard to what his film will look like. Whannell spoke to Comic Book during New York Comic Con 2024, and he addressed...

The Wolf Man director is ready to explain how he developed a new version of the iconic monster's design. As a modern Wolf Man reboot, it hopes to reimagine the classic Universal 1941 monster movie. The trailer was recently released at New York Comic Con and revealed a family struggling under the pressure of an unknown enemy. The original movie certainly showcased horror, but The Invisible Man director Leigh Whannell intends to infuse an eerie sense of mystery into the franchise.

In an exclusive interview with Screen Rant, Whannell opened up about his designs for the character. After compiling a book containing all the different werewolf designs, he settled on a single one. Surprisingly, he also cited Heath Ledger's Joker as a major inspiration for Wolf Man. While Whannell did not view it as a visual concept for the character, Joker did play into the creature's nature. He was also...

Just crossing the $90 million mark at the worldwide box office (with over $71 million in the U.S. alone), it’s safe to say Osgood Perkins’ Longlegs is one of the bonafide successes of the year. Neon is now reuniting with the director on a feature he already shot earlier this year and will arrive next February.

The Monkey, based on Stephen King’s 1980 short story, stars Theo James, Tatiana Maslany, Elijah Wood, Christian Convery, Colin O’Brien, Rohan Campbell, and Sarah Levy. Ahead of a February 21, 2025 release, Neon attached the teaser trailer ahead of Cuckoo this past weekend and now it has made its way online.

“It’s gonna feel more like Misery or Creepshow or Gremlins or American Werewolf. It couldn’t be less like Longlegs. To me, if you’re gonna make a movie about a toy monkey, you can be serious about it. But so much of King is funny and nostalgic feeling.

Radioactive is set to give the horror comedy The Red, a feature expansion of director Ryan Coonan’s 2014 short film Waterborne, a theatrical release across Australia and New Zealand on October 31st, with a press release also promising that the film will arrive in the United States sometime during “the spooky season.” We don’t have a date for any releases outside Australia and New Zealand, but we do have a trailer for the film, and you can check that out in the embed above.

At the heart of The Red is Rippy, the giant Zombie Kangaroo. “Rippy is your average bloke by day, and a terrifying Zombie Kangaroo by night.” Rippy is joined in the cast by Tess Haubrich (Wolf Creek season 2), Angie Milliken (MDA), and Michael Biehn (The Terminator), with Haubrich taking on the role of young police officer Maddy, who is determined to live up to her deceased father’s legacy.