Werewolf by Night (film)

## Watch on Disney+

***Werewolf by Night*** is a live-action Marvel television special. It was released on Disney+ on October 7, 2022.

It is directed by Michael Giacchino, produced by Kevin Feige and stars Gael García Bernal.

## Synopsis

On a dark and somber night, a secret cabal of monster hunters emerge from the shadows and gather at the foreboding Bloodstone Temple following the death of their leader. In a strange and macabre memorial to the leader’s life, the attendees are thrust into a mysterious and deadly competition for a powerful relic—a hunt that will ultimately bring them face to face with a dangerous monster.

## Plot

The Bloodstone family has been fighting monsters for years using the powerful weapon, the Bloodstone. Ulysses Bloodstone has died and it is his funeral. Jack Russell arrives at Bloodstone Temple for a challenge among monster hunters to gain possession of the Bloodstone. Russell walks around looking at fellow hunters, Liorn, Azarel, and Barasso. He then meets Joshua Jovan who compliments Russell's face paint. Ulysses daughter, Elsa Bloodstone arrives. Verussa Bloodstone greets her and condescends her for not continuing the monster hunting tradition. Verussa greeted everyone and had the butler, Billy Swan, open the casket to reveal a puppeteered Ulysses explaining that the others would have to defeat a monster in order to obtain the Bloodstone. The Bloodstone will be attached to the monster, which will weaken it. Barasso claims that Elsa doesn't belong there, but Verussa explains that she will have no special treatment.

The challenge soon commences with Russell leading the way into the maze. Russell and Elsa run into each other, but Russell wants no conflict and suggests to pass each other. Jovan then charges at them, throwing Elsa into a wall. Elsa takes him down and escapes. She uses an ax as a weapon while she slowly makes her way into another room. Liorn emerges from behind a door and tries to shoot her with her wrist arrows. Elsa slices his arm off with her ax and then rids him of Liorn's weapon before using it against him to shoot him in the throat. Jovan then walks in, so Elsa hides in a ditch, covering the dying Liorn's mouth. Jovan suspects nothing, but takes the ax lying on the ground.

Russell makes his way to the monster, Man-Thing. Russell is glad to see his friend and plans on helping him escape, which was his reason for attending. Azarel then finds them, so Russell runs away into a room and closes the door. Elsa, who was inside, tells him not to close it, but Russell doesn't hear. When he closes the door, he realizes it is locked. Russell reveals his plan to her. They talk for a while in the room, which is an indoor graveyard. Elsa suddenly remembers that her aunt hid a key in her grave, believing she would be resurrected and would need a way out of the room. Elsa finds the key and they broke out.

Elsa goes to free Man-Thing while Russell blows a hole in the wall for him to escape. Russell tells her to call him Ted so he trusts her. He then asks how to turn on the explosive, but accidentally does just that, causing them to need to rush. Elsa makes it to Man-Thing and finds Jovan as well. Man-Thing incinerates Jovan, but trusts Elsa when she explains she is with Russell. Meanwhile, Russell tries to attach the explosive to the wall, but has trouble getting it to stick. He finally does so just as Man-Thing charges through the wall escaping, but not before Elsa gets the Bloodstone off of Man-Thing. Russell reaches for the Bloodstone, which throws him back and incapacitates him. Verussa arrives and realizes Russell is a monster as well. She locks up Russell and Elsa for helping a monster despite her knowing he was.

Russell wakes up in a cage and apologizes to Elsa, who is with him. Russell explains that he is a Werewolf and the next full moon is in five days. However, the Bloodstone can turn him into a Werewolf where he becomes uncontrollable. Russell profusely smells Elsa and explains that hopefully he will remember her in his werewolf form. Verussa then walks in and uses the Bloodstone and a Latin spell to turn him into a Werewolf so he could kill Elsa. Verussa taunts Russell through the cage, but he grabs her. She screams, but is saved when her guards attack Russell. They back off only to find that Russell has escaped.

Russell rampages through the guards and bites Barasso's ear off. He then goes into a room and kills all of the guards, flipping and rolling around them. The door then closes and her tries to claw his way out. Verussa takes the Bloodstone and blasts Russell back. Meanwhile, Elsa escapes and fights Barasso, slicing his neck. She then fights Azarel before slicing her neck as well and striking her skull with a sword. Elsa then shoots a rope at Verussa and pulls her away from Russell. She then grabs the Bloodstone. She approaches Russell, hoping he will recognize her. Russell jumps on top of Elsa, but does in fact recognize her. He calms down and runs away.

Verussa then yells at Elsa for letting Russell leave. Verussa vows to kill her stepdaughter, but Man-Thing returns, only to incinerate Verussa. Elsa tells him that Russell left. Swan vows allegiance to Elsa and she tells him to clean everything up. Elsa then sits down in her chair holding the Bloodstone. In the morning, Russell wakes up in human form to the sound of Over the Rainbow playing on a phonograph. He finds Man-Thing playing solitaire and sits with him to drink coffee.

## Cast

* Gael García Bernal as Jack Russell/Werewolf by Night
* Laura Donnelly as Elsa Bloodstone
* Harriet Sansom Harris as Verussa Bloodstone
* Kirk Thatcher as Joshua Jovan
* Eugenie Bondurant as Azarel
* Al Hamacher as Billy Swan
* Leonardo Nam as Liorn
* Daniel Watts as Barasso
* Carey Jones Dr. Theodore "Ted" Sallis/Man-Thing
	+ Jeffrey Ford as Dr. Theodore "Ted" Sallis/Man-Thing (voice)
* Richard Dixon as Ulysses Bloodstone
* David Silverman as Flaming Tuba
* Rick Wasserman as Narrator
* Erik Beck as Puppeteer

## Production

On August 26, 2021, *The Wrap* reported that Marvel Studios was developing a Halloween themed special on Disney+, that's reportedly centered on the character Werewolf by Night though it was unclear if either the Jack Russell or Jake Gomez versions of the character would be featured.

On February 22, 2022, it was reported that the special is titled *Werewolf by Night* and that Michael Giacchino is directing. Gael García Bernal stars as Werewolf by Night.

On February 25, 2022, it was reported that the production start date was pushed back to mid-March, and that it will last for 2-3 weeks.

On March 11, 2022, *The Hollywood Reporter* confirmed Giacchino's involvement and that production is slated to begin in late March in Atlanta.

Filming officially began on March 22, 2022, and its scheduled to wrap on April 9.

On April 21, 2022, it was reported that Donnelly would be playing the monster hunter Elsa Bloodstone for the special.

On April 23, 2022, it was reported that filming had officially wrapped.