Werewolf by Night is an American television special directed by Michael Giacchino and written by Heather Quinn and Peter Cameron for the streaming service Disney+, based on the Marvel Comics featuring the character of the same name.

Gael García Bernal stars in the special as Jack Russell / Werewolf by Night, along with Laura Donnelly and Harriet Sansom Harris.

Giacchino was revealed to be directing in March 2022, ahead of the start of filming later that month at Trilith Studios in Atlanta, Georgia, concluding in late April.

The special received positive reviews from critics, with praise for its use of practical effects, the black-and-white cinematography, performances (particularly Bernal and Donnelly), Giacchino's direction and score, and its story, with many noting its departure from previous MCU media.

Also appearing as the additional monster hunters are Kirk R. Thatcher as Jovan, Eugenie Bondurant as Azarel, Leonardo Nam as Liorn, and Daniel J. Watts as Barasso.

Hans Rodionoff was writing the script by June 2002 following several drafts by John Fasano, and Crystal Sky Pictures was set to co-produce the film.

[23] By August 2021, Marvel Studios was developing a Halloween-themed television special for Disney+ that was reportedly centered on Werewolf by Night, though it was unclear if either the Jack Russell or Jake Gomez versions of the character would be featured.

[35] Giacchino approached the special like an episode of The Twilight Zone, in that it would present "one night in the life of [Jack Russell and Elsa Bloodstone], and see what happens".

[37] Marvel Studios' Feige, Stephen Broussard, Louis D'Esposito, Victoria Alonso, and Brad Winderbaum serve as executive producers.

[49] An illustration of the Avengers is featured in the introduction, which was added after audiences in the first few test screenings were looking for and questioning why established MCU characters did not make an appearance.

[55][42] Additional castings include Harriet Sansom Harris as Verussa Bloodstone, Al Hamacher as Billy Swan, Eugenie Bondurant as Azarel, Kirk R. Thatcher as Jovan, Leonardo Nam as Liorn, Daniel J. Watts as Barasso,[9] Carey Jones as Ted / Man-Thing,[11] with the special's editor Jeffrey Ford providing additional vocalizations, and Richard Dixon voicing Ulysses Bloodstone.

[36] Co-executive producer Brian Gay further noted that the black-and-white cinematography paid homage to classic monster films and emphasized the special's uniqueness from other MCU properties.

[70] The end of the special transitions into color, with Giacchino doing this to show the "nightmare is over" for Elsa and "things are now changing and evolving and hopefully the future will be a brighter place".

[5] The special also featured the songs "I Never Had a Chance" by Irving Berlin, "Wishing (Will Make It So)" by Vera Lynn, and "Over the Rainbow" by Judy Garland.

[77] Amanda Lamadrid of Screen Rant called the trailer "shocking and unique", saying it shows Marvel "going all-in on the vintage scream factor" while adding that the special looks "unlike any previous MCU project".

[30] A special screening occurred at Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas on September 25, 2022,[36] and at Hollywood Forever Cemetery on October 6 as part of a Disney+ Halloween-themed event called "Hallowstream" alongside the WandaVision episode "All-New Halloween Spooktacular!"

[82][83][84] Whip Media, which tracks viewership data for the more than 21 million worldwide users of its TV Time app, calculated that Werewolf by Night was the top-streamed in the U.S. for the week ending October 9, 2022.

The website's critics consensus reads: "A spooky yarn told with taut economy, Werewolf by Night is a standout Marvel entry that proves Michael Giacchino as atmospheric and skilled a director as he is a composer.

"[90] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the special a score of 69 out of 100 based on 17 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

[92] Writing for The Hollywood Reporter, Daniel Feinberg said, "At only 52 minutes and decidedly light on plot and supporting characters, it's a slight but fairly amusing thing, elevated above being a mere exercise in style by the lead performances from Gael Garcia Bernal and Laura Donnelly."

He applauded the design of Bloodstone Manor and the "vintage spooky homages" but wished Giacchino and White had "pushed the extremes of the aesthetic even more" than they did.

[93] In his review for Rolling Stone, David Fear said "Werewolf by Night feels less like a franchise detour than a fun day trip into previously untrampled genre territory."

He continued that Giacchino's direction had "a great sense of how to sustain a mood without losing momentum" and praised the cinematography and Russell's werewolf transformation.

[94] Chris Evangelista of /Film gave Werewolf by Night a 7 out of 10, describing the television special as "a quick, violent, funny monster movie homage, and it's perfect for Halloween."

[1] Marisa Mirabal of IndieWire gave the special "B+", enjoying the design work of Shimoguchi and White, Giacchino's "larger-than-life score", and the use of practical effects.

Though she was impressed by the balance of violence and comedy in the special, along with a "tight and concise" storyline, she noted that because of its short run time, "the characters [were] not able to be fully developed and explored".

[56] In September 2022, a documentary special for Werewolf by Night was announced from Marvel Studios Unscripted Content and Michael Giacchino's brother Anthony,[99] who served as the writer and director.

[5] In September 2022, Gay said that Werewolf by Night would begin to explore a variety of monsters that have existed in the MCU for centuries, such as artwork featured in the special.

[104] Gay also explained the special's ending intentionally left Russell and Bloodstone "totally changed" and in "a space that they did not expect to find themselves in", and felt it was the beginning for their characters but was uncertain if they would return.

[106] In October 2023, while clarifying there were no immediate plans for further projects, Giacchino stated he had "crazy and nuts" ideas for additional stories with these characters.