What’s the secret to a perfect on-screen transformation? WhileChristopher Abbott(Poor Things), the star ofLeigh Whannell’s (The Invisible Man)latest Universal Monster adaptation,Wolf Man, isn’t confident he’ll be taking on another creature feature in the future, he certainly has the recipe for a chilling performance.
OppositeJulia Garner(Apartment 7A), Abbott plays Blake inWolf Man, a father who’s taking his family on a getaway trip to his inherited childhood home. On their way to the farmhouse, however, something sinister attacks them, forcing Blake and his wife Charlotte (Garner) and their young daughter (Matilda Firth) to seek refuge inside the home. As the night progresses, so too does Blake’s bizarre behavior.
In an interview with Collider’sPerri Nemiroff, Abbott shares theDavid Cronenbergfilmthat inspired one of the most important aspects of this adaptation: thetransformationfrom man to wolf. In addition to classic body horrors, Abbott says he enlisted the help of a friend to nail his physicality and discusses the several-hours-long makeup and prosthetic process. They also talk about what’s on the Wolf Man’s playlist, sharing scenes with Garner, and reuniting with writer-directorMona Fastvold(The World to Come) on her historical dramaAnn Lee. You can watch the full conversation in the video above or read the transcript below.
This David Cronenberg Body Horror Inspired the ‘Wolf Man’ Transformation
“There’s a lot of attention to small details.”
PERRI NEMIROFF: This is a very unique and ambitious take onThe Wolf Manthat puts a lot on your shoulders, so when you first signed on, what were some of your biggest burning questions for Leigh in terms of how you’d go about pulling this off?
CHRISTOPHER ABBOTT: Well, it’s in the script already, so the first thing I obviously start talking about is the transformation and how that’s going to work. A movie that he referenced, and I referenced a lot, wasThe Fly, which I’m sure he talked about, just because the pace ofthe progression inThe Flyis sort of similar to ours in this. It’s slow, there’s a lot of attention to small details, and I think it’s fun to act, but I think it’s also fun to watch those little things — how much of the human is leaving, how much of the animal is coming in, and especially the levels in the middle when you can’t quite tell which is which. Those are fun to play, but it’s complicated, and you really have to play with those levels and see what works and what doesn’t. So I think that was sort of the biggest challenge there.
Then, there are a lot of components that go into making that happen.
ABBOTT: That’s right.
I’ll start with the physicality. What kind of conversations did you have with Leigh, and I guess probably also a movement coach, in terms of figuring out the rules and techniques you would lean on to make sure that the progression all the way throughout the movie had the necessary linear trajectory?
ABBOTT: I didn’t worry so much about rules, right? So the thing is, because it’s a wolf, so of course, you’re like, “Okay, well, how can I play a wolf physically?” Now, we’re not built like that, so you may’t. Soyou take a little bit from a wolf, and you take stuff from other animals. I brought in a friend, Or Schraiber, who’s a dancer, and he’s fantastic. We worked together before shooting, working on ideas so I could come to set with as many ideas as I could and just have options. So I’m taking stuff from actual dance, whether it’s just a move or just one little thing, and just sort of creating an amalgamation of anything from animal videos to that, and just creating something unique and whatever works for the scene on the day.
I’ve recently become obsessed with movement coaches and their work. I just find it so fascinating, and it’s so instrumental to delivering a transformation.
ABBOTT: I love it. I love dance anyway, too, and I love his work, so I loved using that.
Leaning into that a little bit, if you had the opportunity to play another creature character in the future, is there any type of creature that comes to mind that might appeal to you, whether it’s leaning on these movement techniques, makeup and prosthetics, or perhaps a performance-capture opportunity?
ABBOTT: Animal-wise, I don’t know if I’m going to get asked to play any more animals.
You never know nowadays.
ABBOTT: It’s a good question.
Even if it’s a technique you learned doing this performance that you would like to do more of.
ABBOTT: Honestly, I truly do love dance. I would actually just sayI would like to do something with some dance in it. I don’t mean like a musical necessarily, but something where, I don’t know, there are movies that have done it.Holy Motorshas some of that. Something like that.
I’ll sit and impatiently wait for that day. I hope it comes soon.
ABBOTT: I’m going to impatiently wait for it, too.
Creating a Winning Werewolf Transformation
What’s on a werewolf’s playlist?
Leaning into the makeup and prosthetics now, I was reading a little bit about the process you went through, and I know you sat for many, many hours in the chair. Having done it now, what tip or trick would you give to another actor about to do their first makeup and prosthetic-heavy performance?
ABBOTT: Just make sure you like the people that you’re doing it with. It’s just a lot of time spent together. Arjen [Tuiten]and Pam [Goldammer], who did the prosthetics, I love them, and it was like, “Thank god,” because spending seven hours in this little trailer with people, you’re intimate, and you better get along.
How do you pass the time?
ABBOTT: Honestly, we just hang out and talk and play music and take breaks. Pam would sage it. I didn’t do podcasts or anything. It’s just talk, and it was great.
You’re playing a werewolf. What is on the playlist to get you into that zone?
ABBOTT: It’s not what you would think. You know what I mean? There’s a lot of, like, Paul Simon. It’s more of the opposite.
See Christopher Abbott Unravel Before He Transforms in New ‘Wolf Man’ Image
‘Wolf Man’ howls into theaters July 25, 2025.
Another layer of this transformation that I was very curious about is figuring out how much of Blake is left every single step of the way. What was it like mapping that out and figuring out the right balance during each stage?
ABBOTT: It’s like, again, without having rules, right? So I think you can set something, and you’ll be like, “Okay, now this is the part where it has to be…” whether you’re playing with percentages, whether it’s 80% Blake and 20% animal, or vice versa or whatever, you can sort of have these things. But also the fun part is,take to take, we would change the dials. You know what I mean? And then you have the edit to sort of figure that out. So we would do a little bit of that, as well, just for options and just to have fun.
Can you recall a time on set when you gave the most extreme range and tell us what the endpoints were?
ABBOTT: I’m trying to think of anything that was in the middle. There’s a scene where you can’t tell if he’s trying to attack the daughter or protect her, so I think it’s playing with that. Then, the details in that usually come down to the eyes because it’s the eyes that are human or animal. So I think it’s probably that.
It kept me on my toes. I appreciated that part of the performance.
I have to ask you about working with Julia because one of the things that I was reading in my press notes that Leigh said is he referred to her as an ideal scene partner for you. I’m sure she’s a great scene partner for everybody, but what is something specific about the way she likes to work that really suits how you like to work, too?
ABBOTT: She’s into detail, and even though we’re doing a, let’s say, genre film, horror film, whatever, where it’s a lot about the visuals and the scares and all this kind of stuff,there’s still attention to detail and character and making sure you’re telling the truthin this. She’s so good at sort of being specific about those things and telling the truth. And so I think we were both similar in that way and came together.
That’s a quality in all her work. That’s what keeps me coming back for more. I love it.
ABBOTT: That’s right.
Mona Fastvold’s ‘Ann Lee’ Is a “Weird Musical History”
Abbott reunites withThe Brutalistco-writer Mona Fastvold for her next feature.
I did want to make sure to squeeze in anAnn Leequestion because, obviously,The Brutalistis very high on my mind right now, and I loved your last film with Mona [Fastvold]. WithThe Brutalist, one thing I keep hearing about is just how personal it was to them, and even as a viewer, I feel like I could feel that in the finished film. In the case ofAnn Lee, I know she wrote that script, so coming back together with her, can you feel a difference in her work when it’s her material?
ABBOTT: Brady [Corbet] and Mona have been close, dear friends of mine for a very, very long time, and I’ve watched them work, often with these kinds of films really pushing a boulder up a mountain, you know what I mean, of trying to get them made. And the same goes forAnn Lee. On paper, is it a movie that’s going to make a lot of money? Who knows? It’s a strange, weird thing. But the important thing here is to get it made. I haven’t seen anything of that movie yet, but I’m really excited about it because, again,on paper, what a weird, almost like a musical history thing about Ann Lee.You’re like, “Well, what is this?” But from what I’ve seen, from what we shot and everything, I think it’s going to be a very unique, special experience.
Those are all the right keywords. Bring it on.
Given the fact that you have worked with her before, is there anything you saw her do on that set that made even you go, “Oh my god, I knew you were good, but I never realized you’d be capable ofthat?”
ABBOTT: God, I mean, the thing is, I’ve done something in all three of Mona’s movies by now. She was my first friend when I moved to New York a very, very long time ago, and that was back when she was even acting and trying to do that. Then just seeing her grow, I’ve been witness to all of it, even hanging out at the house when they’re complaining about not being able to get money for the film. So I’ve seen it all in real-time and the progression, but when I step back, I can’t help but just be in awe. I don’t know if being proud is the right word, but I do. I feel proud of her and them.
Wolf Manopens in theaters on January 17th.
A family at a remote farmhouse is attacked by an unseen animal, but as the night stretches on, the father begins to transform into something unrecognizable.
