Rick Baker Annoyed With CGI In The Wolfman

Rick Baker has won 6 Oscars for his work in the make up department on movies such as The Nutty Professor, Men in Black and An American Werewolf in London, so everyone was glad to hear he was on board for The Wolfman to work his magic on Benicio del Toro and change him into a beast. The first stills we have got from the movie look amazing. You can see one in this post. However, Rick Baker has told MTV that he is not happy with the plans to have the transformation from man to wolf be done with CGI, and not his amazing make up effects.

“[CGI] can be really great, and I think it’s a great tool. But I think we should have been more involved with makeup in the transformation,” he sighed. “Because, basically, we aren’t involved with the transformation at this point. Which is one of the more fun things to do in a movie.”

“At this point, nothing’s really been done [that is permanent],” Baker said of the April 3rd film, which also stars Anthony Hopkins and Emily Blunt. “So, I’m lobbying to be part of that; I’ve been talking to the producers and saying ‘It’s my creation in the end, there’s a certain logic in the design of it. I know it’s different between Benicio’s face and the wolf face, because I sculpted that face. I know how the anatomy changes; I should at least be giving some guidance to the guys who are doing [the transformation in CGI].”

“I know what the changes are, I know what they should be; I’ve done this. I kind of changed the way transformations were done in films with “American Werewolf,” and I’d like to have a chance.”

Did the producers not see Van Helsing!? I know the effects will have advanced since 2004 but surely the master of make up should have a say in the transformation and not be let in the dark. He created the damn wolf face!

In other Wolfman news, the official website is up and can be seen by clicking the image below!