Director of THE WOLF MAN is...

Joe Johnston, the middle of the road choice. The least exciting out of the names that were in the frame like Mangold, Darabont & Condon but as I sit here on this dreadful Monday morning with the rain pouring down outside I am happy to say it could have been a lot worse! We avoided the "Rat"!

I quite like Joe Johnston as a film-maker, I think he could surprise us in the future with a knock out film. All his movies are full of energy and hit the genre note they attempt. HONEY I SHRUNK THE KIDS, the awesome geek movie THE ROCKETEER (which is enough to convince me he could do this), THE PAGEMASTER, JUMANJI, an early Jake Gyllenhaal movie called OCTOBER SKY which I've never seen but it's said to be his best work, JURASSIC PARK III and HIDALGO. There isn't a film there that works 100%, but they all have something about them that leaves you quite fond of them. AICN claim that all the names we heard recently really wanted this gig after Mark Romanek's sudden departure... and as I see it, Johnston along with Brett Ratner would have been the studio safe choice in this climate where the script is locked and cannot be changed. Also, with so little time until filming begins, Romanek's crew, the production design, everything will have to stay the same, and Johnston's been known to be a easy and laid back director to work with. There's little doubt that this material is a step up from anything Johnston has done in the past and for THE WOLF MAN to hit anything like it's cinematic potential with Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins & Emily Blunt and that awesome 50's original movie that hangs over it, it's going to have to be Johnston's best work ever. You have been given a hefty ball here my friend, show us what you can do... and don't drop it!