Get ready werewolf fans, there is a new movie in production that will have you howling for more.

We caught up with award winning filmmaker, Mark Oguschewitz, to talk about his upcoming movie, Lycanthropy.

Horror News Network: Can you provide a synopsis of Lycanthropy?

Mark Oguschewitz:  Since we are still in the development phase of production, we are not giving away too much of the plot right now.  Here is a brief description though: A frustrated writer and her husband travel to a remote house in the woods only to discover that their only neighbors harbor a terrifying secret.  A secret that, when revealed, will change their lives forever.

Horror News Network: How did you come up with the concept for Lycanthropy?

Mark Oguschewitz:  While watching a documentary on Universal’s “The Wolf Man” DVD, I became interested in something that is touched upon in regards to the tragic nature of the Larry Talbot (Lon Chaney Jr.) character.  A theme that develops throughout the early “Wolf Man” films (especially the sequels like “Frankenstein meets the Wolf Man”) is that Larry Talbot is aware of the curse, knows he is going to kill, and is unable to do anything about it.  The idea of how a person would emotionally handle something like this began to fascinate me and I found the idea for my script formulating in my head.  It started out as a modern day story of a man as a tragic figure dealing with the emotional consequences of becoming a werewolf, but after discussing this idea with a good friend of mine, I realized that there might actually be a more interesting story to tell.  That’s when I decided to move the focus of the script to a very different character; a character who is very close to the cursed one, but whose story might actually be more tragic.

Horror News Network: Who are the actors that are involved in this film?

Mark Oguschewitz:  At this point no actors have been attached to our film.  Dee Wallace (The Howling, Cujo) has read the script and expressed an interest in one of the roles by submitting a letter of intent to the production.  After reading the script she commented, “Lycanthropy is a classic horror film that builds relationships and escalates into the frenzy of the good old monster genre… IT HAS CLASS AND INTENSITY.”

Horror News Network: Who are the key players behind the camera of this movie?

Mark Oguschewitz:  My producers and I have been talking to many talented artists for the key positions of Cinematographer, Production Designer and Composer.  We are incredibly excited about the meetings we’ve had with Creature Effects Inc. about designing and operating two monsters that the film will rely on for its effectiveness as a horror film.  After walking into their showroom and seeing some of the creatures that they have designed for films like “I Am Legend” and “300,” we are truly looking forward to the possibility of a future collaboration with them.

Horror News Network: Will this movie feature the lycanthropes as werewolves or will they have the classic wolfman look?

Mark Oguschewitz:  I have never been a big fan of the werewolves that run on two legs.  It never looks right or natural.  It just looks like a man in a costume. On the other hand, when films make a werewolf look exactly like a wolf, that looks wrong too.  A werewolf is something that a human turns into and therefore should be a cross between both human and wolf.  We are in the process of designing a creature that will encompass what we believe will be a realistic look which comes from the wolf’s form, but still incorporates certain traits of the human being.  It should run on all fours, but feel comfortable standing on two.  When in the human form it should still maintain certain wolf traits as well.  When we approached the telling of the story we decided that, as unrealistic as the situation may be, it must always feel real in both the world that we create and the ways that the characters react to the situation.  We then decided the same mentality was going to be needed for the design of the creature so that the unreal situation will always feel realistic and therefore more frightening.

Horror News Network: Will we see full transformation scenes?

Mark Oguschewitz:  You can’t have a werewolf film without transformations?  There are certain expectations that audiences have and we don’t want to disappoint.  With the transformations though, we will be doing at least one thing that we feel is original, but the audience will have to wait for the movie for that.

Horror News Network: Are the special effects done in CGI or are they done the old fashioned way?

Mark Oguschewitz:  We will be creating the effects the old fashioned way.  Even though CGI has come a long way, the kind of CGI that a low budget film like ours can afford can still feel very separate from the images that they are placed into.  For our story, which is more character- than gore-driven, it is important that the creatures feel organic and real.  When re-watching films like “American Werewolf in London” and “The Howling” there is no denying that these creatures are much more effective than the computer generated images we see in some of the more recent low budget horror films.

Horror News Network: When will a full trailer be available?

Mark Oguschewitz:  A temporary trailer is available at our website.  A longer more detailed trailer will be created after we finish shooting the film.

Horror News Network: When is the movie scheduled for release?

Mark Oguschewitz:  Since we are still in the development phase of production we cannot answer this.  We are trying to get everything in order for a 2011 shooting schedule.

Horror News Network: Where can our readers find out more about Lycanthropy?

Mark Oguschewitz:  People can find out more about “Lycanthropy” by visiting our website at www.LycanthropyTheMovie.com, as well as our facebook page at www.facebook.com/pages/Lycanthropy/129872617058675.

Horror News Network: In closing, what would you like to say about Lycanthropy?

Mark Oguschewitz:  I have been a horror fan ever since reading my first Stephen King book, “The Dead Zone,” back in 1983.  One of the things that I have noticed over the years is that the horror novelists seem to have more respect for the genre than the horror filmmakers.  There are a number of exceptions to this, but so many of today’s horror films concentrate more on gore, nudity, and superficial characters that come off as both one dimensional and expendable. One of our goals with “Lycanthropy” is to be respectful to both the horror genre and the horror fan.  The intent is to make a movie that takes its lead from some of the greatest horror films ever made by telling a strong story, with genuine characters, which will make those terrifying moments more effective and frightening.

Horror News Network: Thank you for your time, Mark. Best of luck with Lycanthropy. Comment on the Lycanthropy interview on our forum.