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Blood and Chocolate: A Guide to Werewolves 2007-01-08

In the land of film, strange and horrific creatures have found their way to the big screen as the popularity and hunger for fan friendly movies has increased exponentionally. While Vampires have been a staple of the movie industry for decades, their lycanthrope counterparts have seen a surge in popularity in recent years. While Joe Dante's The Howling popularized werewolves on the big screen several years ago, the Underworld franchise has modernized the land of the lycanthrope for today's audiences. Now, the 1997 Annette Curtis Klause novel Blood and Chocolate has been made into a feature film, providing fans with a whole new angle on werewolves in cinema.


Set in a universe where werewolves live among the humans as a separate species, Blood and Chocolate explores the wolf-like creatures referred to as the loup-garou (werewolves). While the movie shies away from using the term werewolf, it explores the loup-garou's journey of keeping their secret from the humans at any cost. One loup-garou in particular, Vivian, who in a bid to save her mother, winds up as the new Queen in the werewolf society. While the loup-garou attempt to keep their identity a secret from the humans, Vivian can't help but fall in love with an American human despite her new role as alpha female of the pack. Vivian is then torn between the survival of herself and her pack of lycanthrope and her love of the young American human.


For the film adaptation of the novel, the werewolf Vivian is played by the stunningly beautiful Agnes Bruckner. Bruckner, one of the most promising up and coming actors in recent years, flips effortlessly between small screen roles, such as her stint on Season 3 of 24 and feature films roles like her recent work on Haven, The Woods and Dreamland. Bruckner's two love interests in Blood and Chocolate are the American human Aiden, played by actor Hugh Dancy, and the leader of the werewolf pack, Gabriel, played by Olivier Martinez. An up and coming star in his own right, Hugh Dancy rose to acting fame in such films as Black Hawk Down, King Arthur and Basic Instinct 2. Olivier Martinez has had an equally impressive career, having taken on roles in Unfaithful, S.W.A.T. and Taking Lives. Rounding out the Blood and Chocolate cast, German actress Katja Riemann plays Astrid, Vivian's mother, a role that marks her English-language debut.


Confused about the difference between a werewolf, a lycanthrope and loup-garou? Check out UGO.com's Blood and Chocolate Guide to Werewolves for more info on all you need to know about your favorite furry and fanged villain. Not only does the feature hold a movie trailer for Blood and Chocolate, UGO.com's guide also features a six-part lesson on the History of Lycanthropy, as well as a detailed list of Werewolves in Fantasy Entertainment that chronicles werewolves in Film, TV, Video Games, Comic Books and Music. With Blood and Chocolate set to hit theatres on January 26th, there's still enough time to brush up on your werewolf knowledge, thanks to UGO's Guide to Werewolves.