Wolf Man’s Christopher Abbott Says ‘Real’ Prosthetics Made the Movie ‘Better’

comingsoon.net:

debuts in US theaters tomorrow, January 17, and will serve as a reboot of the iconic 1941 Universal Monsters movie The Wolf Man. The new film features Christopher Abbott as Blake Lovell, the man who transforms into the titular monster following an encounter with a mysterious creature. In a new interview, Abbott spoke about the extensive prosthetics he had to put on for the role and the impact it had on the movie and his performance.

Christopher Abbott looked back on the 7-hour prosthetics transformation process he had to undergo for Wolf Man and stated in a new interview that “real prosthetics” made the movie “better.” He told The Hollywood Reporter, “It looks beautiful, and I’m grateful that we did real prosthetics. The film is all the better for it.”

However, Abbott admitted that the process was also “tedious and arduous,” adding, “Just wearing the prosthetics for hours is more tiring than you think. Parts of the prosthetics are heavy, and they weigh you down. Physically, you feel like you’re trapped a little bit, so it’s a mental marathon as well.”

Abbott also reflected on the effects the prosthetics had on his performance. When asked if he was intimidated by the character, Abbott claimed that this was the most physical role he had ever done. He also disclosed that he looked into the mirror while practicing his lines for Wolf Man, something he had not done before. “… because of the prosthetics, you have to see how your face moves underneath the prosthetics and what it conveys. So I thought that was interesting,” he explained.

According to Abbott, while prosthetics did not “hinder” his performance, they did alter how he acted. Elaborating, Abbott noted that he had to perform “a little bit bigger” with his face underneath the prosthetics while conveying emotions such as anger and sadness.

Notably, Wolf Man also stars Julia Garner as Charlotte Lovell, Matilda Firth as Ginger Lovell, and Sam Jaeger as Grady Lovell.