Werewolf By Night Releases Bonkers First Trailer
The new Werewolf by Night trailer released at Disney's D23 event is gothic, dramatic, and heavily indebted to classic Universal horror.
Disney+ continues to beef up its catalog of original content. Following this year’s Disney+ Day on September 8th, a day dedicated to celebrating everything the streaming service has to offer, the studio returned to the Anaheim Convention Center from September 9th through September 11th for D23 2022: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event. During Saturday’s Walt Disney Studios – Lucasfilm & Marvel Studios Presentation, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige brought down the house with a slew of MCU announcements and first looks. At one point, director Michael Giacchino joined Feige on stage to present the first Werewolf by Night trailer.
Marvel fans are introduced to Jack Russell (Gael Garcia Bernal) in the first Werewolf by Night trailer. His character transforms into a lycanthrope, but he’s able to retain his human intellect. The teaser is super dramatic, with a classic black and white horror movie look. If the short clip is any indication, the upcoming special will resemble the Universal Studios monster movies released from the 1930s through the 1950s.
We first heard the Halloween special was coming to Disney+ back in August 2021. Now, the Werewolf by Night trailer confirms the feature will premiere October 7th, 2022. Director Michael Giacchino is a music composer who has worked on a handful of Marvel flicks such as Thor: Love and Thunder, Spider-Man: No Way Home, and Doctor Strange. His work as a director includes the 2018 short film Monster Challenge and an episode of Star Trek: Short Treks.
The lycanthropic character we see in the Werewolf by Night trailer is simply referred to as the Werewolf by other characters in the comic books, and his first appearance was in Marvel Spotlight #2 in February 1972. Gael Garcia Bernal, who portrays Jack Russell (aka the Werewolf by Night) in the upcoming horror special, has an acting resume that goes back to the late 1980s. Along with multiple television shows including Mozart in the Jungle, Queen of Swords, and Teresa, Bernal has appeared in various films such as M. Night Shyamalan’s Old, Salt and Fire, and Wasp Network.
In addition to Bernal, we also get a look at actress Laura Donnelly in the first Werewolf by Night trailer. At one point, the star was thought to be playing Nina Price (aka the Vampire by Night). In the comics, she was Jack Russell’s niece who carried the Lycan gene as well. After being bitten by a vampire, she became a vampire/werewolf hybrid. Now, it seems Donnelly is actually in the role of monster-hunter Elsa Bloodstone.
In addition to the first Werewolf by Night trailer, Disney has released first looks for several other titles at D23 22. Fans were treated to the first trailer for the upcoming Disney+ series National Treasure: Edge of History, which is based on the motion picture franchise starring Nicolas Cage. We also got our first look at the upcoming show The Santa Clauses, which sees Tim Allen reprise his role from the film series. The D23 22 expo will continue through today. We can’t wait to see what other surprises Disney has in store for us. Werewolf by Night premieres October 7th on Disney+.
