Michael Giacchino, director and composer of Marvel Studios‘ Werewolf by Night, has opened up about how the new colorized version impacts the Disney+ special’s ending.
During a recent interview, Marvel’s own Rachel Paige asked Giacchino if anything surprised him about seeing the originally-black-and-white Werewolf by Night in color. “I did have one concern, which was obviously in the black and white one, you have a big turn at the end when it goes to color,” Giacchino replied. “The intention there was that Elsa created a whole new world. The possibilities are endless. What’s she going to do with this new power she has?”
The director continued, “That was reflected in bringing color to a place that was for years a dreary part of her life. She was able to finally bring color to it. I was worried, how will that affect the storytelling if the whole thing is in color? … But after watching it, I still felt the same feelings. I still felt the same about everything. It’s certainly a different experience than in black and white, but it’s just a different experience. It’s just, as I said, a new way to experience that story.”
What is Werewolf by Night about?
Set within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, horror-tinged Werewolf by Night premiered on Disney+ last October. The special stars Gael García Bernal as Jack Russell/Werewolf by Night and Laura Donnelly as Elsa Bloodstone. In it, Jack and Elsa partake in a monster hunt at Bloodstone Manor — Elsa to claim the powerful Bloodstone from her estranged family and Jack to secretly rescue the monster being hunted (who is actually his good friend, Ted Sallis/Man-Thing). The two ultimately join forces to accomplish their respective goals.
The original version of Werewolf by Night is presented almost entirely in black and white as an homage to the classic horror films of the 1930s and ’40s. As Giacchino pointed out, however, the special symbolically turns to color in its closing minutes.
Last month, Marvel announced it would be releasing a fully-colorized version of Werewolf by Night in honor of the Disney+ special’s first anniversary. The original black-and-white version is also streaming on Hulu until October 31.
Marvel Studios’ Werewolf by Night is currently streaming on Disney+. Werewolf by Night in Color arrives on the platform on Friday, October 20.
