Disaster averted.
Brett Ratner isn't going to takeover as director on The Wolf Man, after Mark Romanek walked from the project recently. That slightly ignoble honour goes to Joe Johnston -- best known for directing Jurassic Park III, October Sky, Jumanji, The Rocketeer and Honey, I Shrunk The Kids.
Well, I'm sure Johnston will do a better job than Ratner (primarily because he's an admitted fan of the Universal horror icons), but I've never been wowed by his oeuvre. He's a family-friendly director with a good grasp of special-effects, having worked on the visual effects for the original Star Wars trilogy and Raiders Of The Lost Ark.
I wish him well, though. It's strongly suggested that Romanek practically got the film designed in a year and it's all ready to roll -- so Johnston will effectively work from detailed plans, a locked-down script, and a ready-made cast...
Fingers crossed this Romanek-Johnston hybrid will be worth the wait. Surely it can't fail with Benicio Del Toro as the lead and Andrew Kevin Walker behind the script?
