AfterInvisible Man andAbigail,Universals got another modern take on one of its classic monsters hitting theaters. While its taken some time to craft Leigh Whannells Wolf Man,its getting here in about a month, and a new behind the scenes video digs into the films many inspirations. In the featurette, Whannell readily admits to using the film to explore infection and transformation, themes that have been at the heart of werewolf stories. But his spin has some extra weight: he wrote the script in 2020 during the early pandemic days, so the film cant help but also be about how sicknesses elicit feelings of isolation, dread, and anxiety. Blake, our eventual Wolf Man played by Christopher Abbott, gets attacked by a werewolf and gradually morphs into the monster as his wife Charlotte (Julia Garner) and daughter Ginger (Matilda Firth) can only watch as it happensat least until its time for them to spend the rest of the night running awayfrom him. On a simliar note, the director considersWolf Mana tribute to two of his favorite 80s body horror films,The ThingandTheFly. Those movies also explore the fear of someone becoming (or being near) something uncontrollable and dangerous. Its a slightly different track for Whannell, whos been in the horror game ever since the original Saw,but moves like Insidious and Upgrade focus on the terror of demonic posessions or evil, manipulative beingse. He very much likes using horror to really dig deep into someones subconscious, and with Wolf Man,hes aiming to provide an aural assault and deliver something horrific and visceral to audiences. Well see if his bite is as scary as his bark seems when Wolf Manhits theaters on January 17, 2025. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, whats next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.