Werewolf By Night Director Michael Giacchino Explains The Special's Distinct Visual Flair
Over the years, the projects within the Marvel Cinematic Universe have maintained a fairly consistent style that's left the franchise feeling a bit samey. There's action, light comedy, and hints toward stories to come within the MCU and not much more than that. However, as we've seen throughout Phase Four, Marvel Studios is interested in trying out different visual and narrative flavors as the multimedia narrative continues to expand. Productions like "Eternals," "Loki," and "Moon Knight" have flirted with this change in direction, though "Werewolf by Night" seems to be the first to truly embrace it.
Courtesy of director Michael Giacchino, "Werewolf by Night" will arrive on Disney+ on October 7, 2022, as the first-ever Marvel Studios Special Presentation. Starring Gael García Bernal and Laura Donnelly as Jack Russell — aka Werewolf by Night — and Elsa Bloodstone, respectively, the television special will follow them to Bloodstone Manor, where they attend a secret meeting with a group of their fellow monster hunters. As the night closes in, they'll compete in a dangerous competition in pursuit of a mysterious relic. They'll encounter the mysterious Man-Thing as well as the Time Variance Authority along the way.
Based on the small detail-filled first teaser for "Werewolf by Night," it appears visually distinct from all other MCU projects to date. According to Giacchino, its unique appearance didn't come together by pure coincidence.
Giancchino and his team went old school for Werewolf by Night
To promote the impending Disney+ arrival of "Werewolf by Night," Michael Giacchino spoke with Collider about the spooky television special. When discussing the visuals of it all, he explained that the key was to make it look as dated as possible. "We always approached this as something that was being done in the '30s. What would they have done, and what would they have had at their disposal? How would they have done it," he said, promising fans that unlike many MCU projects and general blockbusters of the modern era, "Werewolf by Night" isn't bogged down by greenscreen and unnecessary CGI.
"We did as many practical effects as we could. We built actual sets for everything," Giacchino told the publication, adding, "We had the monster on set. We had all of this stuff there for reference, and even if we enhanced it later to some degree, it was still on set for us." In his eyes, this approach made it easier for all of the actors to deliver their best possible performances. They didn't have to worry about imagining environments and characters while acting. They simply had to act. To top it all off, "Werewolf by Night" even has changeover cues — a staple of old-school Hollywood productions.
If nothing else, the vintage, black and white "Werewolf by Night" will be a visual breath of fresh air for the MCU.