Wolf Man star Christopher Abbott borrowed from illnesses like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s to show character’s devolution | Hollywood

The star of Wolf Man, Christopher Abbott, has said that he and the director Leigh Whannell borrowed from real-life mental illnesses to show the lead character’s devolution and transformation over time. Wolf Man is a reboot of the 1941 classic, The Wolf Man, and follows a man seeking to protect his wife and daughter from a werewolf, only to become infected and slowly transform into the creature. (Also read: Inventing Anna actor Julia Garner interview: ‘Nothing’s ever really easy if you want it to be good’)

Christopher Abbott on discussing Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s with director Leigh Whannell

Abbott and Whannell discussed at length how his character would evolve, or rather, devolve, over the course of the film. “Leigh and I talked a lot about illnesses from Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s,” Abbott says. “In terms of the transformation, it was letting go of the reality of what it is to be a healthy human and stripping that away.”

It helped, too, that Blake’s transformation was done practically, with makeup and prosthetics, rather than with VFX. “The fact that it was happening on the day, and our crew was experiencing it with us—viscerally, in real time—reminded us that we were making something special,” Abbott says.

What is Wolf Man about

Wolf Man centers around the Lovell family—Blake, Charlotte, and their young daughter Ginger—who decide to take a break from their city life and visit a remote property. At the farmhouse at night during a full moon, the family is attacked by a werewolf that claws Blake’s arm. They barricade themselves inside the home, but soon Blake begins to transform into something horrifying, jeopardizing the safety of his wife and daughter.

Apart from Christopher Abbott, the film also stars Julia Garner, Matilda Firth, and Sam Jaeger. Wolf Man is releasing worldwide in IMAX on January 17.