Genre: Action-adventure, Fantasy, Horror, Superhero
Based on Werewolf by Night
by Roy Thomas, Jean Thomas, Gerry Conway, Mike Ploog
Screenplay by Heather Quinn, Peter Cameron
Story by Heather Quinn
Directed by Michael Giacchino
Starring: Gael García Bernal, Laura Donnelly&Harriet Sansom Harris.
Composer: Michael Giacchino
Executive Producers: Kevin Feige, Stephen Broussard, Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Brad Winderbaum
Production Locations: Atlanta, Georgia
Cinematography:Zoë White
Editor: Jeffrey Ford
Production Companies: Marvel Studios
Distributed by Disney Platform Distribution
The plot: On a dark and sombre night, a secret cabal of monster hunters emerge from the shadows and gather at the Bloodstone Temple following the death of their leader; the attendees are thrust into a mysterious and deadly competition for a powerful relic.
Werewolf by night was surprisingly good.
Pros: This Special did well celebrating the classic black and white monster movies. This is not like anything Marvel Studios have done before. Man-Thing gives us the best moments & it doesn’t shy away from showing blood.
Cons: Nothing.
Cast & Characters:
- Gael García Bernal as Jack Russell / Werewolf by Night:
A monster hunter who has been afflicted with a curse that turns him into a werewolf.[1] Bernal was intrigued by “the idea of the whole tapestry of a life” for Russell and what turning into a werewolf meant for him. - Laura Donnelly as Elsa Bloodstone:
Ulysses Bloodstone‘s estranged daughter who dislikes her family’s tradition of hunting monsters. Donnelly was drawn to the character’s fighting capability and being able to do the stunt work associated with her action scenes. - Harriet Sansom Harris as Verussa Bloodstone:
Ulysses’s widow and Elsa’s stepmother who leads the secret group of monster hunters. Harris said Verussa was “very interested in control” and with Ulysses’s death, is able to enter into a more prominent and powerful role.
Also starring as the additional monster hunters are Kirk R. Thatcher as Jovan, Eugenie Bondurant as Azarel, Leonardo Nam as Liorn, and Daniel J. Watts as Barasso. Al Hamacher appears as Billy Swan, the Bloodstones’ servant; Carey Jones portrays the swap creature Ted / Man-Thing, with the special’s editor Jeffrey Ford providing additional vocalizations; David Silverman plays the flaming tuba player; Rick Wasserman narrates the special’s opening sequence; and Richard Dixon voices Ulysses Bloodstone, Elsa’s deceased monster-hunting father whose corpse has been turned into a talking automaton, as puppeteered by Erik Beck.
I recommend watching this special only on Disney+.
Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
Ryan Balkwill:
Resident TV reviewer,
Level Best Art Cafe.