Werewolf by Night is “a love letter to monsters”

It’s fall, which means we are in full swing of Spooky Season! With that, Disney+ will premiere the television special Werewolf by Night next month. Director Michael Giacchino–who you may know best for his film scores–recently discussed what Werewolf by Night means and how it evolved.

Michael Giacchino recalls being approached by Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige about a potential Marvel Cinematic Universe project he wanted to work on. His choice? Werewolf by Night, a fairly obscure character introduced in 1972. The project, Giacchino said, “evolved into this love letter to monsters and the humanity behind them.”

Michael Giacchino’s Werewolf by Night has been labeled “fun horror” by the director, who also noted, “My nephew watched it recently, and couldn’t sleep that night.” Sounds like a nice spooky night in with the family to us! With a running time of just 53 minutes, Werewolf by Night should be a breezy watch for the little ones.

Michael Giacchino has developed a strong relationship with Marvel, composing five scores for the studio, the most for any one composer. His work includes Doctor Strange, the latest Spider-Man trilogy and Thor: Love and Thunder. He also composed the studio’s fanfare introduced in 2016.

Werewolf by Night’s official plot: “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.”

Werewolf by Night stars Gael García Bernal as Jack Russell/Werewolf by Night, Laura Donnelly as monster hunter Elsa Bloodstone and Harriest Sansom Harris as a leader of hunters.

Michael Giacchino won an Academy Award for Best Original Score for 2009’s Up (after a Ratatouille loss two years prior).

Werewolf by Night comes to Disney+ on October 7.