From Vampires to Werewolves: The Long-Awaited Spin-Off from What We Do in the Shadows
Ten years is a long time, especially when you are waiting for the creative magic of a beloved franchise to spin off into something new. For Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi, the wait has been for the hypothetical We’re Wolves, a potential sequel to their mockumentary horror-comedy What We Do in the Shadows.
The original film cleverly established a bizarre world: four centuries-old vampire roommates navigating the daily absurdities of modern life in Wellington, New Zealand. Despite possessing supernatural powers, these immortal dwellers struggled with very human problems like paying rent and resolving flatmate squabbles. It was a charming, if spooky, look at eternal life meeting mundane reality.
But the story didn’t end there. The premise of the original film included a tantalizing possibility: a collision between the vampire world and lycanthropes. This potential path led to the idea for a spin-off centered on werewolves, setting up a fresh dynamic ripe for comedic exploration.
The vision for We’re Wolves involved bringing in familiar faces, with reports suggesting that actors Rhys Darby and Stuart Rutherford would be involved in a power battle between lycanthropes, vying for the position of alpha male within the werewolf gang.
For a period, this concept remained on the drawing board. Waititi even considered it as his next major cinematic venture after his work on the Marvel Cinematic Universe, including Thor: Ragnarok. However, life, and perhaps a busier schedule, intervened, and the writers never quite got to script the vision.
While the screenplay remained elusive for years, the creative partnership has finally found its momentum. Clement and Waititi have recently begun the process of writing the story, transforming long-held ideas into tangible narrative structures.
The current challenge lies in deciding on the format. Since the original film relied heavily on improvised dialogue to capture the characters’ unique voices, the team now faces a pivotal choice: stick with improvisation for a lighter, spontaneous feel, or commit to a fully scripted approach for tighter control over the narrative.
Regardless of the chosen route, the focus is shifting from simply talking about the idea to actively building the framework. The goal remains ambitious: bringing this unique werewolf saga to life and hoping to see the completed script emerge sometime in 2027.
Meanwhile, the universe of What We Do in the Shadows has already branched into successful television ventures. Fans have enjoyed follow-up series, including Wellington Paranormal, which followed some of the original characters as police officers, and the highly successful TV series That show, which chronicled the vampires’ life on Staten Island.
Credit: JoBlo
