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{{Infobox film
| name           = An American Werewolf in London
| image          = An American Werewolf in London poster.jpg
| alt            =
| caption        = Theatrical release poster
| director       = [[John Landis]]
| producer       = [[George Folsey Jr.]]
| writer         = John Landis
| starring       = {{Plainlist|
* [[David Naughton]]
* [[Jenny Agutter]]
* [[Griffin Dunne]]
* [[John Woodvine]]
}}
| music          = [[Elmer Bernstein]]
| cinematography = [[Robert Paynter]]
| editing        = Malcolm Campbell
| studio         = {{Plainlist|
* [[PolyGram Filmed Entertainment|PolyGram Pictures]]
* Lycanthrope Films Limited<ref name="afi"/>
}}
| distributor    = {{Plainlist|
* [[Universal Pictures]] (United States)
* Barber International Films Ltd. (United Kingdom)<ref name=bbfc/>
}}
| released       = {{Film date|1981|08|21}}
| runtime        = 97 minutes<!--Theatrical runtime: 97:16--><ref name=bbfc>{{cite web| url=https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/an-american-werewolf-in-london-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0zmdu4mte| title=''An American Werewolf In London'' (15)| website=[[British Board of Film Classification]] |access-date=February 6, 2016}}</ref>
| country        = {{Plainlist|
* United Kingdom<ref name="afi">{{cite web| url=https://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=68275| title=An American Werewolf in London| website=[[American Film Institute]]| access-date=October 1, 2016}}</ref>
* United States<ref name="afi"/>
}}
| language       = English
| budget         = $5.8 million<ref>{{cite magazine| title=British Film Production 1981| url=https://archive.org/details/Sight_and_Sound_1982_10_BFI_GB/page/n43/mode/2up?q=moses| last=Moses| first=Antoinette| magazine=[[Sight and Sound]]| volume=51| issue=4| date=Autumn 1982| page=258| access-date=October 12, 2023}}</ref>
| gross          = $62 million<ref name="numbers">{{cite web |url=https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/American-Werewolf-in-London-An#tab=summary |website=[[The Numbers (website)|The Numbers]] |title=An American Werewolf in London, Box Office Information |access-date=November 7, 2020 }}</ref>
}}
'''''An American Werewolf in London''''' is a 1981 [[Supernatural horror film|supernatural]] [[comedy horror]] film written and directed by [[John Landis]]. An international co-production of the United Kingdom and the United States, the film stars [[David Naughton]], [[Jenny Agutter]], [[Griffin Dunne]] and [[John Woodvine]]. The title is a cross between ''[[An American in Paris (film)|An American in Paris]]'' and ''[[Werewolf of London]]''.<ref name=Hallencom/> The film's plot follows two American [[Backpacking (travel)|backpackers]], David and Jack, who are attacked by a [[werewolf]] while travelling in England, causing David to become a werewolf under the next [[full moon]].<ref name="star">{{Cite news |last=DeMara |first=Bruce |date=June 26, 2016 |title=Rewind: An American Werewolf in London still howlingly good |url=https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/movies/rewind-an-american-werewolf-in-london-still-howlingly-good/article_94ef9a6d-ea39-566f-a620-e92ce463fda6.html |work=[[Toronto Star]] |pages=E4}}</ref>

Landis wrote the first draft of the screenplay for the film in 1969 and shelved it for over a decade. Prospective financiers believed that Landis's script was too frightening to be a [[comedy film]] and too humorous to be a [[horror film]]. After achieving success in Hollywood with the comedies ''[[The Kentucky Fried Movie]]'', ''[[Animal House|National Lampoon's Animal House]]'', and ''[[The Blues Brothers (film)|The Blues Brothers]]'', Landis was able to secure financing from [[PolyGram Pictures]] to produce ''An American Werewolf in London''.

''An American Werewolf in London'' was released in the US by [[Universal Pictures]] on August 21, 1981. It was a critical and commercial success, winning the 1981 [[Saturn Award]] for [[Saturn Award for Best Horror Film|Best Horror Film]] and makeup artist [[Rick Baker]] winning the inaugural [[Academy Awards|Academy Award]] for [[Academy Award for Best Makeup and Hairstyling|Best Makeup]]. Since its release, it has become a [[cult classic]].<ref>{{cite web| last=Berardinelli| first=James| url=https://preview.reelviews.net/movies/a/american_london.html| title=''An American Werewolf in London'' review| website=ReelViews| year=2000| access-date=July 26, 2009}}</ref> A sequel, ''[[An American Werewolf in Paris]]'', was released by [[Hollywood Pictures]] in 1997.

==Plot==
<!-- Per WP:FILMPLOT, plot summaries for feature films should be set between 400 to 700 words only. -->
Two American graduate students from [[New York City]], David Kessler and Jack Goodman, are trekking across the [[North York Moors]]. As night falls, they stop at the Slaughtered Lamb, a local pub. Jack notices a [[pentagram|five-pointed star]] on the pub's wall. When he asks about it, the pub-goers grow hostile, prompting him and David to leave. The pub-goers warn the pair to keep to the road, stay clear of the moors, and beware of the full moon. David and Jack wander off the road and onto the moors, where a vicious creature attacks them. Jack is mauled to death and David is severely injured. The beast is shot and killed by some concerned pub-goers who followed the pair. Instead of an animal carcass, David sees a naked dead man lying next to him before passing out.

David wakes up three weeks later in a [[London]] hospital. Inspector Villiers interviews David and informs him that the locals reported that an escaped lunatic attacked him and Jack. David insists a rabid dog or wolf attacked them. An undead Jack later appears to David and explains that they were attacked by a [[werewolf]]; since David was bitten, he is now a werewolf too. Jack is cursed to walk the earth in limbo, neither dead nor alive, until the wolf's bloodline is severed. Jack urges David to kill himself before the next full moon so he does not harm anyone.

Dr. Hirsch visits the Slaughtered Lamb to investigate, suspecting that David might have been influenced by local superstitions. When asked about the incident, the pub-goers deny any knowledge of David, Jack, or the attack. However, one distraught pub-goer privately tells Dr. Hirsch that David will endanger other people when he transforms.

Upon being released from the hospital, David stays with Alex Price, the nurse who cared for him. Alex tells David that she is concerned about his mental health, as he has been having hyper realistic dreams and nightmares. David rapidly develops a heightened sexual drive that he uses to seduce Alex. Jack, now even more decayed, appears and warns David that he will become a werewolf the following night, and again advises him to commit suicide. David refuses to believe him but when the full moon rises, he painfully transforms into a werewolf inside Alex's flat. He prowls the streets and the [[London Underground]], killing six people. He wakes up the next morning naked on the floor of a wolf enclosure at the [[London Zoo]], with no recollection of what happened, and returns to Alex's flat.

After learning of the previous night's murders and realizing that he is responsible, David unsuccessfully attempts to get himself arrested in [[Trafalgar Square]]. He calls his family to say he loves them, then loses the courage to slit his wrists with a pocket knife. David spots Jack, whose skeleton is now showing, outside an adult cinema. Inside, Jack introduces David to his previous night's victims, some of whom are furious with David and suggest different suicide methods to free them from their undead state.

David transforms into a werewolf while still in the theatre. He decapitates Inspector Villiers, and wreaks havoc in the streets, killing several motorists and bystanders. The police surround and trap David in an alleyway. Alex arrives, runs down the alley, and tries calming David by professing her love to him. Although David's consciousness briefly emerges to recognize Alex, the beast takes over and lunges towards her, forcing the police to shoot him dead. David's body reverts to human form in front of Alex as she mourns him.

== Cast ==
{{Cast listing|
* [[David Naughton]] as David Kessler
* [[Jenny Agutter]] as Alex Price
* [[Griffin Dunne]] as Jack Goodman
* [[John Woodvine]] as Dr J. S. Hirsch
* [[Don McKillop]] as Inspector Villiers
* [[Frank Oz]] as Mr Collins
* Paul Kember as Sergeant McManus
* [[Sydney Bromley]] as Alf
* [[Frank Singuineau]] as Ted
* Will Leighton as Joseph
* [[Geoffrey Burridge]] as Harry Berman
* Brenda Cavendish as Judith Browns
* [[Michael Carter (actor)|Michael Carter]] as Gerald Bringsley
* Anne-Marie Davies as Susan Gallagher
* [[Albert Moses]] as Hospital Porter
* [[Linzi Drew]] as Brenda Bristols
* [[Nina Carter]] as Nina "Naughty Nina"
* [[Paula Jacobs]] as Mrs Kessler
* [[Brian Glover]] as 1st Chess Player
* [[Rik Mayall]] as 2nd Chess Player
* [[Lila Kaye]] as The Barmaid
* [[Alan Ford (actor)|Alan Ford]] as The Taxi Driver
* [[David Schofield (actor)|David Scofield]] as The Darts Player
* Paddy Ryan as First Werewolf
}}

==Production==
{{expand section|date=September 2024}}

===Development===
[[John Landis]] came up with the story while he worked in [[Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia|Yugoslavia]] as a production assistant on the film ''[[Kelly's Heroes]]'' (1970). According to Landis, he and a Yugoslav member of the crew were driving in the back of a car on location when they came across a group of [[Romani people]]. The Romani people appeared to be performing rituals on a man being buried so that he would not "rise from the grave."<ref>''An Interview with John Landis'' featurette on the ''American Werewolf in London'' [[DVD]]</ref>

Landis wrote the first draft of ''An American Werewolf in London'' in 1969 and shelved it for over a decade. Two years later, Landis wrote, directed, and starred in his debut film, ''[[Schlock (film)|Schlock]]'', which developed a cult following. Landis developed box-office status in Hollywood through the successful [[comedy film|comedies]], ''[[The Kentucky Fried Movie]]'', ''[[Animal House]]'' and ''[[The Blues Brothers (film)|The Blues Brothers]]'' before securing $10 million financing from [[PolyGram Pictures]] for his werewolf film. Financiers believed that Landis's script was too frightening to be a comedy and too funny to be a horror film.<ref name="Peary">{{cite book| title=Cult Movies 3| first=Danny| last=Peary| year=1988| publisher=Simon & Schuster Inc.| location=New York| pages=15–19 |isbn=978-0-6716-4810-7}}</ref> Universal Studios execs were pressuring the director to cast [[Dan Aykroyd]] and [[John Belushi]] as David Kessler and Jack Goodman but Landis went with unknown actors instead.<ref>{{cite magazine| url=https://www.vulture.com/2011/07/the-lost-roles-of-dan-aykroyd.html| title=The Lost Roles of Dan Aykroyd| date=July 14, 2011| first=Bradford| last=Evans| magazine=[[Vulture (magazine)|Vulture]]}}</ref>

===Filming===
Filming took place between February and March 1981 because director John Landis wanted the film to take place during poor weather.<ref name="Roger Cormier">{{cite web| url=https://www.mentalfloss.com/posts/an-american-werewolf-in-london-movie-facts| title=15 Facts About 'An American Werewolf in London'| last=Cormier| first=Roger| date=September 12, 2023| website=[[Mental Floss]]}}</ref>

The moors were filmed around the [[Black Mountains, Wales|Black Mountains]] in [[Wales]], and East Proctor is in reality the tiny village of [[Erwood|Crickadarn]], about {{convert|6|mi|km|spell=in}} southeast of [[Builth Wells]] off the A470. The Angel of Death statue was a prop added for the film, but the red phone box is real, though the [[Welsh language|Welsh]] road signs were covered by a fake tree.<ref>{{cite web| title=An American Werewolf in London film locations| url=http://www.movie-locations.com/movies/a/amwerewolf.html| website=The Worldwide Guide To Movie Locations| date=July 9, 2014| access-date=October 14, 2014| archive-date=October 26, 2014| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141026143737/http://www.movie-locations.com/movies/a/amwerewolf.html| url-status=dead}}</ref>

The pub shown in the film known as the Slaughtered Lamb was actually a cottage located in Crickadarn, and the interior scenes were filmed in the Black Swan, Old Lane, [[Ockham, Surrey#Martyrs Green|Martyrs Green]] in Surrey.<ref name="Pykett2008">{{cite book| first=Derek| last=Pykett| title=British Horror Film Locations| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=atktMkuOvPwC&pg=PA12| date=2 July 2008| publisher=McFarland| isbn=978-0-7864-5193-7| pages=12–14}}</ref>

''An American Werewolf in London'' was the first film allowed to shoot in [[Piccadilly Circus]] in 15 years. Landis accomplished this by inviting 300 members of [[Greater London]]'s [[Metropolitan Police Service]] to a screening of his new film ''[[The Blues Brothers (film)|The Blues Brothers]]''.<ref name="Roger Cormier"/> The police were so impressed by his work that they granted the production a two-night filming permit between 1 and 4 a.m. Traffic was stopped only three times for two-minute increments to film the automobile stunts involving the [[double-decker bus]].<ref name="Roger Cormier"/> Other filming locations included Putney General Hospital, Chiswick Maternity Hospital, Redcliffe Square in Earl's Court, the area around Tower Bridge, South Kensington Underground station, Tottenham Court Road Underground station, London Zoo, Putney High Street, Belgravia, Hampstead and Southwark.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.timeout.com/london/news/15-places-that-appear-in-an-american-werewolf-in-london-061617| title=15 places that appear in 'An American Werewolf in London'| magazine=[[Time Out (magazine)|Time Out London]]| date=16 June 2017| first=Robert|last=Lordan}}</ref>

Filming also took place at [[Twickenham Studios|Twickenham Film Studios]]<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.enriched.media/behind-the-scenes/where-we-are| title=Where we are| date=4 November 2019| website=Enriched Media Group}}</ref> in [[London Borough of Richmond upon Thames|Richmond Upon Thames]].

===Music===
The film's upbeat soundtrack consists of songs which refer to the moon. [[Bobby Vinton]]'s slow, soothing version of "[[Blue Moon (1934 song)|Blue Moon]]" plays during the opening credits, [[Van Morrison]]'s "[[Moondance (Van Morrison song)|Moondance]]" plays as David ([[David Naughton]]) and Alex Price ([[Jenny Agutter]]) make love for the first time, [[Creedence Clearwater Revival]]'s "[[Bad Moon Rising (song)|Bad Moon Rising]]" plays as David nears the moment of changing to the werewolf, a soft, bittersweet ballad version of "Blue Moon" by [[Sam Cooke]] plays during the agonizing wolf transformation, and [[the Marcels]]' [[doo-wop]] version of "Blue Moon" plays over the end credits.<ref>{{cite book| last=Jones| first=Steven| title=The Essential Monster Movie Guide| year=2000| publisher=Billboard Books| isbn=978-0-8230-7936-0| author2=Forrest J. Ackerman| page=34}}</ref>

The score was composed and conducted by [[Elmer Bernstein]] and recorded at [[Olympic Studios]] in London, engineered by Keith Grant. Bernstein's score can be heard during David's nightmares, when Dr. J. S. Hirsch ([[John Woodvine]]) drives through the moors to East Proctor, and when Alex confronts David in the alley. Though Bernstein wrote and recorded music to accompany the transformation scene, the director chose not to use it. The three-minute passage was eventually released by Bernstein under the title "Metamorphosis".<ref>Ward, Mark (December 14, 2013). "[https://hollywoodandallthat.com/2013/12/14/the-mystery-of-the-missing-music-cue-or-how-an-american-werewolf-in-london-lost-its-bite/ The mystery of the missing music cue or how an American werewolf in London lost its bite]". ''Hollywood and All That''.</ref>

While an official soundtrack album was never released, [[Meco]] produced [[Meco#Other soundtracks become "Meco-ized"|"Impressions of An American Werewolf in London"]]<ref>Hall, Jacob; Edgar Wright (June 28, 2017) "[https://www.slashfilm.com/551800/baby-driver-edgar-wright-interview/ Edgar Wright on the Origins of 'Baby Driver' and Setting Car Chases to a Pop Soundtrack]. ''SlashFilm.''</ref> which was released by [[Casablanca Records]]. The album was produced and arranged by Meco, featuring [[Cover version|covers]] of Bernstein's score and three songs from the movie, and four original songs.

==Home media==
The film was first released in 1981 on [[VHS]] and [[Betamax]] under the MCA Videocassette Inc. label and on [[LaserDisc]] and [[Capacitance Electronic Disc|CED]] under the MCA Videodisc label. In 1984, MCA Home Video released it on LaserDisc. This would be the last time Universal would release the movie on home video for 17 years. The following year, [[Vestron Video]] acquired the video rights from [[Universal Studios, Inc.|MCA/Universal]] and released it on VHS, Betamax and LaserDisc in 1985. It was released again on LaserDisc in 1989 (under [[RLJE Films|Image Entertainment]] through Vestron) and 1995 (under [[Artisan Entertainment|LIVE Entertainment]]), and again on VHS in 1990 under the [[Anchor Bay Entertainment|Video Treasures]] label and 1991 and 1994 from Vestron Video (through LIVE Home Video).

The film was first released on [[DVD]] in December 1997 by LIVE Entertainment according to a LIVE DVD Advertisement. It was presented in a non-anamorphic widescreen transfer and contained the film's theatrical teaser trailer. [[Universal Pictures|Universal]] eventually got the video rights back and released a 20th-anniversary "Collector's Edition" DVD on September 18, 2001, making it the first time Universal released the film on home video since 1984.<ref>{{cite web| first=Fred| last=Topel| url=http://www.hive4media.com/news/html/product_article.cfm?article_id=1689| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010911011734/http://www.hive4media.com/news/html/product_article.cfm?article_id=1689| title='American Werewolf' Prowls to DVD Sept. 18| website=hive4media.com| archive-date=September 11, 2001| date=August 31, 2001| access-date=September 7, 2019| url-status=live}}</ref> It included an audio commentary with actors David Naughton and [[Griffin Dunne]], interviews with John Landis and [[Rick Baker]], a 1981 promotional featurette, silent outtakes, storyboards and production photographs. A coinciding VHS was released on the same day. The high-definition version of the film was first released on [[HD DVD]] by Universal on November 28, 2006. A high-definition [[Blu-ray|Blu-ray Disc]] and 2-disc standard-definition [[DVD region code|Region 1 DVD]] release of the film titled ''An American Werewolf in London – Full Moon Edition'' was released by Universal on September 15, 2009.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://hd-report.com/2009/07/13/an-american-werewolf-in-london-coming-to-blu-ray/#more-1727|title=An American Werewolf in London coming to Blu-ray|publisher=HD Report|date=July 13, 2009|access-date=July 26, 2009}}</ref> The Region 2 DVDs and Blu-ray were released on September 28 and are known as ''An American Werewolf in London – Special Edition''.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://thedigitalbits.com/item/american-werewolf-in-london-le-arrow-2022-uhd| title=American Werewolf in London, An: Limited Edition (4K UHD Review)| first=Tim| last=Salmons| date=February 28, 2022| website=The Digital Bits| access-date=October 12, 2023}}</ref>

In 2016, Universal re-released the film on Blu-ray as a "Restored Edition" to commemorate the 35th anniversary of the film's release.<ref name="MVD">{{cite web| url=https://mvdb2b.com/s/AV226| title=An American Werewolf In London [Limited Edition]| website=[[MVD Entertainment Group]]| access-date=21 July 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/An-American-Werewolf-in-London-Blu-ray/160245/ |title=An American Werewolf in London Blu-ray |access-date=April 25, 2020}}</ref> On October 29, 2019, Arrow Video released a 4K restoration as part of a Blu-ray box set that contains all previously released extra material; the documentary ''Mark of The Beast: The Legacy of the Universal Werewolf''; the 2009 making-of documentary ''Beware the Moon''; filmmaker Jon Spira's video essay "I Think He's a Jew: The Werewolf's Secret;" a new interview with Landis; [[Film poster|lobby cards]] and a booklet.<ref name="MVD"/>

==Reception==
===Box office===
''An American Werewolf in London'' was released August 21, 1981, and grossed $30 million at the box office in the United States and Canada<ref name="mojo">{{cite web |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl2336458241/weekend/ |title=An American Werewolf in London (1981) |publisher= IMDb |work= [[Box Office Mojo]] |access-date=August 7, 2010}}</ref> It was felt that the performance suffered due to being released after ''[[The Howling (film)|The Howling]]'' in March and ''[[Wolfen (film)|Wolfen]]'' in July.<ref name=s&s>{{cite magazine|magazine=Sight and Sound|title=British film production 1981|first=Antoinette|last=Moses|url=https://archive.org/details/Sight_and_Sound_1982_10_BFI_GB/page/n47/mode/1up?|page=262|date=Autumn 1982}}</ref> In Australia it was the highest-grossing film of the year and performed very well in the United Kingdom.<ref name=s&s/> It grossed $62 million worldwide against the budget of under $6 million.<ref>{{cite news| last=Lodge| first=Guy| date=21 August 2021| title=An American Werewolf in London at 40: John Landis's crafty creative peak| work=[[The Guardian]]| location=London| url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2021/aug/21/an-american-werewolf-in-london-1981-john-landis| access-date=5 April 2023}}</ref>

===Critical response===
At the time of its release, [[Roger Ebert]] reviewed the film unfavorably, giving it two out of four stars and writing, "''An American Werewolf in London'' seems curiously unfinished, as if director John Landis spent all his energy on spectacular set pieces and then didn't want to bother with things like transitions, character development or an ending."<ref name=Ebert>{{cite news| date=January 1, 1981| first=Roger| last=Ebert| author-link=Roger Ebert| url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/an-american-werewolf-in-london| title=An American Werewolf in London| via=RogerEbert.com| newspaper=[[Chicago Sun-Times]]| access-date=October 14, 2020}}</ref>

In retrospective reviews, critics have extolled the film as a cult classic. ''[[Leslie Halliwell|Halliwell's Film Guide]]'' described it as a "curious but oddly endearing mixture of horror film and spoof, of comedy and shock, with everything grist to its mill including tourist Britain and the wedding of Prince Charles. The special effects are notable and signaled new developments in this field."<ref>{{cite book| title=Halliwell's Film and Video Guide| edition=13th| isbn=0-00-638868-X| last=Halliwell| first=Leslie| publisher=Harper Collins| year=1997}}</ref> ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' listed it in their 1996 "Greatest Movies Ever Made", saying that the transformation effects by [[Rick Baker (makeup artist)|Rick Baker]] changed the face of horror makeup in the 1980s.<ref>{{cite book| title=The Entertainment Weekly Guide to the Greatest Movies Ever Made| url=https://archive.org/details/entertainmentwee00newy| url-access=registration| year=1996| publisher=Warner Books| location=New York| page=[https://archive.org/details/entertainmentwee00newy/page/123 123]| isbn=978-0-4466-7028-9}}</ref> In his book ''Comedy-Horror Films: A Chronological History, 1914-2008'', Bruce G. Hallenbeck lambasted the film's inconsistent tone, juvenile humor, poor direction, and emphasis on shock value to the detriment of continuity and plot. He cited Rick Baker's makeup effects and Jenny Agutter's performance as genuinely powerful, but concluded that "thanks to the director's insincerity, slapdash approach and what appears to be a thinly veiled contempt for the material, [''An American Werewolf in London''] succeeds neither as comedy nor as horror."<ref name=Hallencom>{{cite book| title=Comedy-Horror Films: A Chronological History, 1914-2008| url=https://archive.org/details/comedyhorrorfilm00hall| url-access=limited| last=Hallenbeck| first=Bruce G.| publisher=[[McFarland & Company]]| year=2009| isbn=978-0-7864-5378-8| pages=119–123}}</ref>

{{Rotten Tomatoes prose|89|7.9|65|Terrifying and funny in almost equal measure, John Landis' horror-comedy crosses genres while introducing Rick Baker's astounding make-up effects.|access-date={{RT data|access date}}}}<ref name="tomatoes">{{cite web| url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/american_werewolf_in_london| title=An American Werewolf in London| website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]| date=April 21, 1981| access-date={{RT data|access date}}}}{{RT data|edit}}</ref> On [[Metacritic]], the film has a score of 55 out of 100 based on reviews from 15 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://metacritic.com/movie/an-american-werewolf-in-london| title=An American Werewolf in London reviews| website=[[Metacritic]]| access-date=April 1, 2020}}</ref> Kim Newman of [[Empire (film magazine)|''Empire'' magazine]] gave the film a rating of four out of five stars, writing that "carnivorous lunar activities rarely come any more entertaining than this". Tom Huddleston of ''[[Time Out (magazine)|Time Out]]'' also gave the film a positive review, calling it "not just gory but actually frightening, not just funny but clever".<ref>{{cite magazine| url=https://timeout.com/london/film/an-american-werewolf-in-london-re-release| title=An American Werewolf in London (Re-release)| first=Tom| last=Huddleston| date=October 27, 2009| magazine=[[Time Out (magazine)|Time Out]]| access-date=June 22, 2015}}</ref>

===Awards and accolades===
At the [[54th Academy Awards]], ''An American Werewolf in London'' won the first-ever Academy Award for [[Academy Award for Best Makeup and Hairstyling|Best Makeup]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1982 |title=The 54th Academy Awards (1982) Nominees and Winners |access-date=October 8, 2011 |website=[[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141111072059/http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1982 |archive-date=November 11, 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Ryzik |first=Melena |date=February 4, 2011 |title=The Master of movie makeup speaks |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://archive.nytimes.com/carpetbagger.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/04/an-interview-with-the-master-of-movie-makeup/ |access-date=5 April 2023}}</ref> During the [[9th Saturn Awards]], the film won for [[Saturn Award for Best Horror Film|Best Horror Film]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Best horror films |website=Saturn Awards |url=https://www.saturnawards.org/The-Saturn-Awards-Past-Winners.php?cat=Best%20Horror%20Film&div=FILM%20AWARDS&show=all#c |access-date=5 April 2023}}</ref> and [[Saturn Award for Best Make-up|Best Makeup]] and was nominated for [[Saturn Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]] and [[Saturn Award for Best Writing|Best Writing]].

A 2008 [[Empire (film magazine)|''Empire'' magazine]] poll of critics and readers named ''An American Werewolf in London'' as the 107th-greatest film of all time.<ref>{{cite news |date=3 October 2008 |title=The 500 Greatest Movies Of All Time |url=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/500-greatest-movies/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121025151053/http://www.empireonline.com/500/78.asp |archive-date=2012-10-25 |magazine=[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]]}}</ref>

==Legacy==
===Media recognition===
''An American Werewolf in London'' is chiefly appreciated as a milestone in the [[Comedy horror|comedy-horror]] genre and for its innovative makeup effects. ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'' stated that it was "the first mainstream hit which managed to make its gross-out effects simultaneously shocking and hilarious" and called the signature werewolf transformation scene "stunningly ingenious, without a computer effect in sight, but also suffused with squirm-inducing agony".<ref name="Tim Robey">{{cite news| url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/2016/08/21/an-american-werewolf-in-london-how-john-landis-and-rick-baker-tr/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/2016/08/21/an-american-werewolf-in-london-how-john-landis-and-rick-baker-tr/ |archive-date=January 12, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live| title=An American Werewolf in London: How John Landis and Rick Baker transformed horror| first=Tim| last=Robey| newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]]| location=London| date=2016-08-21| access-date=2018-04-08}}{{cbignore}}</ref> The ''Telegraph'' also cited the slew of 1980s genre films which came after ''An American Werewolf in London'' and followed the film's example of blending visceral horror effects with comedy, such as ''[[Beetlejuice]]'', ''[[Gremlins]]'', and ''[[Evil Dead 2]]''.<ref name="Tim Robey"/>  Director [[Edgar Wright]] (''[[Shaun of the Dead]]'') cited the film as a major inspiration for his own film-making and a milestone in the genre.<ref name="Tim Robey"/><ref>{{cite video| url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmfTfFWAKxY |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/hmfTfFWAKxY| archive-date=2021-12-12 |url-status=live| title=Edgar Wright on An American Werewolf in London Part 1| author=Horror Channel Frightfest| via=YouTube| date=2009-07-09| access-date=2018-04-08}}{{cbignore}}</ref> The low budget independent film ''The Snarling'' (2018) was heavily inspired by Landis's film and contains various motifs and references including a cameo by [[Albert Moses]] paying direct tribute to his role in the film.

Pat Reid of ''Empire'', reviewing the film in 2000, thought that the blending of comedic and horror elements "don't always sit well side-by-side," but called the transformation scene "undoubtedly a classic" because of its "good old-fashioned makeup and trickery making the incredible seem real."<ref>{{cite magazine| url=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/empire-essay-american-werewolf-london/review/| title=EMPIRE ESSAY: An American Werewolf in London review| first=Pat| last=Reid| magazine=Empire| date=2000-01-01| access-date=2018-04-09}}</ref>

''[[Rolling Stone]]''{{'}}s Joshua Rothkopf, writing on the 35th anniversary of the film's release, called ''An American Werewolf in London'' an "allegory of exoticized Jewishness". This is embodied by the character of David and his growing awareness of his "otherness" as a werewolf alongside his own outsider status as a Jewish American in England. "Hiding a secret deep within one's body, strange urges, xenophobic glances, accusatory feelings of guilt: David's condition already has a name, and this won't be the first film in which Jewish otherness is made monstrous." The article also celebrated the film as an innovative mix of humor and horror, "a landmark in startling makeup effects", and "a riotous piece of fish-out-of-water college humor."<ref name="Joshua Rothkopf">{{cite news| url=https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/news/how-american-werewolf-in-london-transformed-horror-comedy-w434829| title=How 'American Werewolf in London' Transformed Horror-Comedy| first=Joshua| last=Rothkopf| magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]| date=2016-08-19| access-date=2018-04-07}}</ref>

[[Michael Jackson]], who was a fan of the film, chose John Landis to direct and Rick Baker to direct makeup effects for his 1983 "[[Thriller (song)|Thriller]]" [[Michael Jackson's Thriller (music video)|music video]] based on the strength of their work in ''An American Werewolf in London''. It went on to become one of the most lauded music videos of all time.<ref name="Joshua Rothkopf"/><ref name="Celizic">{{cite news| last=Celizic| first=Mike| url=https://www.today.com/popculture/thriller-video-remains-classic-25-years-later-wbna24282347| title='Thriller' still a classic after 25 years| website=[[Today (American TV program)|Today]]| date=April 26, 2008| access-date=July 24, 2010}}</ref>

===Director's regrets===
Director John Landis has expressed regret over changing or cutting certain scenes to earn an R-rating in the United States. The sex scene between Alex and David was edited to be less explicit, and an extended scene showing the homeless men along the Thames being attacked by the werewolf was eliminated after a test audience reacted negatively to it. Another showed the undead Jack (Dunne) eating a piece of toast which falls out of his torn throat. Landis also concluded that the werewolf transformation scene should have been shorter; he was so fascinated by the quality of Rick Baker's effects that he spent more time on the scene than he otherwise would have.<ref name="Roger Cormier"/><ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.gamesradar.com/the-story-behind-an-american-werewolf-in-london/| title=The Story Behind An American Werewolf in London| first=James| last=White| website=GamesRadar| date=2009-09-23| access-date=2018-04-09}}</ref>

===Radio adaptation===
A radio adaptation of the film was broadcast on [[BBC Radio 1]] in 1997, produced by [[Dirk Maggs]]<ref>{{cite book| last=Crook| first=Tim| year=1999| title=Radio Drama| publisher=[[Routledge]]| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=h0SFAgAAQBAJ&q=american+werewolf| pages=116–117| isbn=978-0-4152-1603-6}}</ref> and featuring Jenny Agutter, [[Brian Glover]], and John Woodvine reprising the roles of Alex Price, the chess player (now named George Hackett, and with a more significant role as East Proctor's special constable), and Dr Hirsch, respectively. The roles of David and Jack were played by Eric Meyers and [[William Dufris]].

===Sequel===
The film was followed by a [[sequel]], ''[[An American Werewolf in Paris]]'', released in 1997.<ref name=star /> The sequel features a completely different cast and crew, and was distributed by [[The Walt Disney Company|Disney]]'s [[Hollywood Pictures]] in North America and France's [[Metropolitan Filmexport]], Benelux's [[Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group#International_arrangements|Columbia TriStar Film Distributors International]], and J&M Entertainment in other territories. It was poorly-received by critics and [[box-office bomb|flopped at the box office]].

===Retrospective documentary===
In 2009, a retrospective [[documentary film]], ''Beware the Moon: Remembering An American Werewolf in London'', was released.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.dreadcentral.com/reviews/7564/beware-the-moon-remembering-an-american-werewolf-in-london-2009/| title=Beware the Moon: Remembering An American Werewolf in London (2009)| last=Johnson| first=Scott A.| date=June 25, 2008| website=[[Dread Central]]| access-date=May 25, 2020}}</ref> An accompanying book by the documentary's director, Paul Davis, was published in 2016.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.avclub.com/keep-off-the-moors-and-curl-up-with-a-good-book-about-a-1798246695| title=Keep off the moors and curl up with a good book about An American Werewolf In London| last=Vanderbilt| first=Mike| date=April 26, 2016| website=[[The A.V. Club]]| access-date=May 25, 2020}}</ref>

===Proposed remake===
In June 2009, it was announced that [[Dimension Films]] was working with producers Sean and Bryan Furst on a remake of the film. This has since been delayed due to other commitments.<ref>{{cite news| last=McNary| first=Dave| url=https://variety.com/2009/film/news/werewolf-remake-in-development-1118005523/| title='Werewolf' remake in development| magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]| date=June 29, 2009| access-date=October 14, 2014}}</ref> In August 2016, several reports suggested that [[Max Landis]] (son of director John Landis) was considering remaking the film.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://slashfilm.com/an-american-werewolf-in-london-remake/| title=So Is Max Landis Making an 'American Werewolf in London' Remake or What? [Updated]| last=Han| first=Angie| date=August 18, 2016| website=[[/Film]]| access-date=June 17, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url=https://screenrant.com/american-werewolf-london-remake-max-landis/| title=An American Werewolf in London Remake Teased By Max Landis| last=Cureton| first=Sean K.| date=August 18, 2016| website=[[Screen Rant]]| access-date=June 17, 2020}}</ref> In November 2016, ''[[Deadline Hollywood]]'' reported that Max Landis would write and direct a remake.<ref>{{cite news| first=Alan| last=Evans| url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/nov/08/an-american-werewolf-in-london-remake-max-landis| title=An American Werewolf in London to be remade by original director's son| newspaper=[[The Guardian]]| location=London| date=November 8, 2016| access-date=December 23, 2016}}</ref>

In December 2017, Max Landis confirmed on [[Twitter]] that he had completed the first draft of the script.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Evangelista |first1=Chris |title=How the 'American Werewolf' Remake Differs From the Original, According to Max Landis |url=https://www.slashfilm.com/american-werewolf-remake-update/ |website=[[/Film]] |date=December 12, 2017 |access-date=April 8, 2019}}</ref> But beginning in late 2017, accusations by a number of women that Landis had abused them emotionally or sexually began to emerge publicly. In the wake of those allegations, it remains unknown if Landis will be replaced or if the project will be put on indefinite hold.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://screenrant.com/max-landis-american-werewolf-london-movie-remake-updates/ |title=Max Landis' American Werewolf In London Remake Is Probably Not Happening |website=Screen Rant |last=Tyler |first=Adrienne |date=August 25, 2019 |access-date=August 25, 2019}}</ref>

In November 2019, ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' reported that [[Robert Kirkman]], creator of ''[[The Walking Dead (comic book)|The Walking Dead]]'' comic book series, was in consideration as a producer for a reboot of ''An American Werewolf in London''.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://variety.com/2019/film/news/dexter-fletcher-dracula-henchman-renfield-robert-kirkman-1203410649/ |title=Dexter Fletcher to Direct a Movie About Dracula's Henchman for Universal (Exclusive) |last=Kroll |first=Justin |date=November 20, 2019 |magazine=Variety |access-date=February 25, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://movieweb.com/an-american-werewolf-in-london-reboot-robert-kirkman/ |title=An American Werewolf in London Reboot Possibly Happening with The Walking Dead Creator |last=Sprague |first=Mike |date=November 21, 2019 |website=[[MovieWeb]] |access-date=February 25, 2021}}</ref>

==See also==
* "[[Deer Woman (Masters of Horror)|Deer Woman]]", a 2005 episode of ''[[Masters of Horror]]'' directed by Landis that references events in ''An American Werewolf in London'' as though they are actually happening
* ''[[Frostbite (2006 film)|Frostbiten]]'', a 2006 Swedish vampire film influenced in part by ''An American Werewolf in London''<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.timeout.com/movies/frostbite-2 |title=Frostbite |date=December 12, 2006 |magazine=Time Out |access-date=February 25, 2021}}</ref>
* ''[[Junoon (1992 film)|Junoon]]'', a 1992 Bollywood film with a similar plot to ''An American Werewolf in London''<ref>{{cite book |last=Jones |first=Stephen |year=2000 |title=The Essential Monster Movie Guide: A Century of Creature Features on Film, TV, and Video |publisher=Billboard Books |page=206 |isbn=978-0-8230-7936-0}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/express-sunday-eye/ghost-stories-netflix-bollywood-horror-the-horror-film-filmmakers-spike-genre-with-subversion-and-reality-6208266/ |title=The horror film shrugs off its B-movie tag, as filmmakers spike the genre with subversion and reality |last=Sahani |first=Alaka |date=January 12, 2020 |newspaper=[[The Indian Express]] |access-date=February 25, 2021}}</ref>
*[[List of cult films]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==

{{Commons category}}
* {{IMDb title}}
* {{Metacritic film}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes}}
* {{AFI film}}
* {{TCMDb title}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060827012849/http://www.cwgcuser.org.uk/personal/subterra/lu/lufilmtv/lufandtv.htm The London Underground in Films & Television]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090725064201/http://www.movie-page.com/scripts/An-American-Werewolf-in-London.htm ''An American Werewolf in London'' script]

{{John Landis}}
{{Saturn Award for Best Horror Film 1972–1990}}

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[[Category:1981 comedy horror films]]
[[Category:1981 American films]]
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[[Category:1980s monster movies]]
[[Category:1980s supernatural horror films]]
[[Category:American comedy horror films]]
[[Category:American exploitation films]]
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[[Category:American supernatural horror films]]
[[Category:American werewolf films]]
[[Category:British comedy horror films]]
[[Category:British exploitation films]]
[[Category:British ghost films]]
[[Category:British supernatural horror films]]
[[Category:British werewolf films]]
[[Category:English-language comedy horror films]]
[[Category:Films about death]]
[[Category:Films about Jews and Judaism]]
[[Category:Films about nightmares]]
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[[Category:Films that won the Academy Award for Best Makeup]]
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{{Wikipedia attribution|original_title=An American Werewolf in London|access_date=2026-02-25}}