| Teen Wolf | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster |
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| Directed by | Rod Daniel |
| Produced by | Mark Levinson Scott M. Rosenfelt George W. Perkins Thomas Coleman Michael Rosenblatt |
| Written by | Jeph Loeb Matthew Weisman Tim Hayes |
| Starring |
Michael J. Fox |
| Music by | Miles Goodman |
| Cinematography | Tim Suhrstedt |
| Editing by | Lois Freeman-Fox |
| Distributed by | Atlantic Releasing Corporation (Theatrical), MGM (DVD) |
| Release date(s) | August 23, 1985 |
| Running time | 91 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $33,086,661 United States[1][2] |
Teen Wolf is a 1985 American fantasy comedy film released by Atlantic Releasing Corporation starring Michael J. Fox as Scott Howard, a high school student who discovers that his family has an unusual pedigree when he finds himself transforming into a werewolf. The film was directed by Rod Daniel based on a script co-written by Joseph Loeb III and Matthew Weisman.
The film was followed by a sequel in 1987 entitled Teen Wolf Too, an animated TV series which ran on CBS from 1986 to 1987, and a current live-action TV series which premiered on MTV in June 2011.[3]
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High school student Scott Howard is seventeen years old, sick of being average and wishing he were special. His father runs a local hardware store. Scott plays basketball for his high school's team, the Beavers, with a not-so-good win-loss record. The girl of his dreams, Pamela Wells, is dating Mick, a jerk from an opposing high school team, the Dragons. After another of the team's losses, Scott begins to notice strange changes to his body. While at a party, Scott keeps undergoing changes and eventually he returns home, locks himself in the bathroom, and undergoes a complete change and becomes a werewolf, while his father demands that he open the door. He tries to refuse, only to finally give in and obey, to find his father has also transformed into a werewolf.
Harold never told his son about the condition because "sometimes it skips a generation" and he was hoping it wouldn't happen to Scott. Scott first reveals his transformation to the public at one of his basketball games, after getting pinned in a pile-up. After momentarily stunning the crowd with The Wolf, Scott goes on to wow them with his basketball skills and he finishes the game with a quadruple double.
Scott subsequently learns to use his family "curse" to gain popularity at school, becoming the team's star basketball player, and learns to transform at will between his normal self and The Wolf. His basketball team goes from last to first, and Scott begins spending most of his school time as The Wolf. He also wins the interest of Pamela while ignoring the affections of his best friend, Boof, who has loved him since childhood.
Scott's other best friend Stiles, a party animal with an entrepreneurial streak, quickly cashes in on Scott's new-found popularity, selling Teen Wolf T-shirts and other merchandise. Stiles' "wolfmania" reaches such extremes that he trades in his own vehicle for a stepvan dubbed "Wolfmobile."
After a freaky encounter with Mick at the Spring Dance that almost turns violent, Scott wishes to be himself. During the final basketball game (Beavers vs. Dragons again), Scott refuses to "wolf out" and insists on winning the game on his own. Coach Bobby Finstock tells Scott that the team is doomed to fail without The Wolf, but Scott is able to prove him wrong. In a dramatic ending, and with the help of five fouls from Mick, Scott is able to rally the team back to within a point as time is expiring. Scott is fouled one last time by Mick on the final play and given two shots. In a clear violation of the rules, Mick is able to stand underneath the basket as Scott attempts his foul shots. Scott makes both baskets and the Beavers win the game by one point.
Pamela smugly expects to get Scott's attention after the game is over, but he passes her by to hold Boof in his arms, kissing her passionately.
Teen Wolf was one of the first scripts written by Jeph Loeb.[4]
The beaver mascot logo used in the film was the Oregon State University Beavers' logo, in use by the university at that time.
The film was followed by a cartoon spin-off in 1986, and a sequel in 1987 titled Teen Wolf Too, with Jason Bateman starring as Todd Howard, Scott's cousin. A second sequel starring Alyssa Milano was planned, but never filmed.[5]
In June 2009, MTV announced that they would be adapting Teen Wolf into a television series "with a greater emphasis on romance, horror and werewolf mythology".[6] Australian director Russel Mulcahy directed the pilot film of the television series.[7]
The film grossed $33,087,700 in the box office and debuted at #2 in its opening weekend, behind Back to the Future (also starring Michael J. Fox).[8][9]
Although the film was a modest hit for Atlantic Releasing Corporation, the film's critical reception was generally mixed.[10] Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a rating of 53% based on 19 reviews.[11] An unsuccessful comedy on the teenage werewolf theme came three years earlier with Full Moon High. The trend continued in 1999 with the television series Big Wolf on Campus.
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