James Wan Teases Upcoming Original Horror Idea, Clarifies It’s Not a Reboot or Remake

Fans were hoping the connection to New Line Cinema might mean the filmmaker is taking on an existing horror property, but that is not the case.

By Chris Morse
August 5 2019, 8:20 PM EDT

There is plenty of speculation on the nature of James Wan’s upcoming top-secret horror project, and the filmmaker himself recently took to social media to offer fans a small tease of what to expect. Some have wondered about whether the director would be taking on an existing horror franchise or if he’s working on something new altogether, but it looks like the latter is most certainly the case.

“There’s been a bit of speculation as to what my next project is,” he wrote. “All I’ll say is, I’m super excited to go back to my indie roots with this hard-R thriller. An original horror idea (not a reboot/remake or anything based on existing IP) with old school, practical effects and no giant, blue screen sets. That’s all I’ll say for now.”

No stranger to the genre, Wan has helmed efforts such as Saw, Insidious, and two Conjuring films, making his return to horror as director (as opposed to only producing) an intriguing one. Fans can look forward to something totally original with a classic practical-effects feel and that sounds like a great starting point for this yet-to-be-named film.

Details on this project are still very scarce, with plot details being kept heavily under wraps, but on top of directing, Wan will also co-write alongside Ingrid Bisu (The Nun). The film is being produced via the Atomic Monster banner, which is led by the director and longtime collaborator Michael Clear. Financing are Starlight Media and Midas Innovation, who will retain distributing rights in China.

Filming on this unnamed project is set to kick off this fall in Los Angeles and should be complete before Wan moves forward on Aquaman 2 next year. As previously mentioned, details are still fairly slim right now, but we’ll be sure to keep you updated with all the latest here on Dead Entertainment.

James Wan Directing Top-Secret Horror Project Ahead of Next Aquaman Film

The movie is being described only as something original for the genre.

Chris Morse

Programmer by day, writer by night. Having grown up surrounded by plenty of horror movies and video games, it only made sense for Chris to combine all of these passions into one place: Dead Entertainment. Whether he's working on designs, tinkering with the platform, or just writing up the latest horror news, he's sure to be hard at work keeping the wheels turning on this website no matter what time of day it is. When not coding or gaming, you can find him donning a Cheesehead and heading to the Midwest to cheer on his favorite NFL team, the Green Bay Packers. #GoPackGo