For years, horror fans have been howling at the moon over the news that Benicio Del Toro would play the Wolfman. Now, the film is finally hitting theaters this weekend, and millions of people seem eager to glimpse his hair-raising performance.
Where did it all begin? How loyal is the new film to the old, classic monster movies? For the answer to these and other questions, be sure to sink your teeth into our "Wolfman" cheat sheet before you head to the theater.
A Long and Winding Road
Way back in 2007, Benicio Del Toro signed on to make the movie, and the actor's eccentric facial features and hulking intensity were instantly praised as one of the best casting coups in recent memory. We later broke the news that Anthony Hopkins was joining the film as Lawrence Talbot's creepy dad and also got the exclusive scoop at Sundance '08 that Emily Blunt was also onboard. Del Toro later filled us in on plans to tweak the storyline — and make sure Dracula didn't get a cameo.
Almost Too Scary
Make no mistake: This is a hard-core, R-rated movie with so much carnage that the latest trailer nearly made Emily Blunt vomit. The first trailer was no slouch, either. The movie has an adults-only subplot that sees Blunt's Gwen Conliffe bed-hopping from one brother to the next, making for a hairy situation when she discovers what killed her initial love interest.
Transforming From Wolf to Man
Collaborating with legendary makeup designer Rick Baker, Benicio Del Toro set out to remake "The Wolfman" through a mix of homage, innovation and anger. The makeup took hours to apply and even more time to remove, but as you can see in these photos, it turned out horrifically beautiful. That isn't to say, however, that there weren't some speed bumps along the way, as Baker and the filmmakers clashed over whether the transformation would be achieved with makeup or CGI.
A Big Weekend?
Kanye West might not be a fan of Lon Chaney Jr.'s original Wolfman, but Benicio sure is. As such, our experts over at the MTV Movies Blog are betting that his desire to update a classic will result in a big weekend for the hirsute Hollywood star.
Check out everything we've got on "The Wolfman."
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