James Wan
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James Wan (born 26 February 1977) is an Australian director, producer, screenwriter and comic book writer. He has primarily worked in the horror genre as the co-creator of the ''
Saw A saw is a tool consisting of a tough blade, wire, or chain with a hard toothed edge. It is used to cut through material, very often wood, though sometimes metal or stone. The cut is made by placing the toothed edge against the material and mov ...
'' and ''Insidious'' franchises and the creator of
The Conjuring Universe ''The Conjuring'' Universe is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of supernatural horror films. The franchise is produced by New Line Cinema, the Safran Company, and Atomic Monster Productions and distributed b ...
. The lattermost is the highest-grossing horror franchise, at over $2 billion. Wan is also the founder of film and television production company
Atomic Monster Productions Atomic Monster is an American film and television production company, founded in 2014 by James Wan. The company is known for producing films in ''The Conjuring'' Universe, '' Lights Out'', ''Mortal Kombat'', ''Malignant'' and '' M3GAN''. Overvi ...
. Beginning his career with the ''Saw'' franchise, Wan made his feature directorial debut with its first film in 2004. The films became commercially successful and have grossed more than $1 billion globally. Following a period of setbacks, Wan returned with the ''Insidious'' series, where he directed the first film in 2010 and its 2013 sequel. The same year as the second ''Insidious'', Wan directed the first ''Conjuring'' film to critical and commercial success. He served as the director of the second installment in 2016 while producing subsequent films in the franchise. Outside of horror, Wan directed ''
Furious 7 ''Furious 7'' (also known as ''Fast & Furious 7'') is a 2015 American action film directed by James Wan and written by Chris Morgan. It is the sequel to ''Fast & Furious 6'' (2013) and '' The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift'' (2006), and ser ...
'' (2015), the seventh installment of the ''
Fast & Furious ''Fast & Furious'' (also known as ''The Fast and the Furious'') is a media franchise centered on a series of action films that are largely concerned with street racing, heists, spies, and family. The franchise also includes short films, ...
'' franchise, and the
DC Extended Universe The DC Extended Universe (DCEU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films and television series produced by DC Studios and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It is based on characters that ...
superhero films A superhero film (or superhero movie) is a film that focuses on the actions of superheroes. Superheroes are individuals who possess superhuman abilities and are dedicated to protecting the public. These films typically feature action, adventu ...
''
Aquaman Aquaman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, the character debuted in ''More Fun Comics'' #73 (November 1941). The character is a pastiche of Namor. Initially ...
'' (2018) and ''
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom ''Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom'' is an upcoming American superhero film based on the DC Comics character Aquaman. Produced by DC Studios, the Safran Company, and Atomic Monster Productions, and set for distribution by Warner Bros. Pictures, ...
''. Both grossed over $1 billion, making Wan the eighth director with two films to reach the milestone. He is the 19th highest-grossing director of all time as of 2021, with his films having grossed over worldwide.


Early life and education

James Wan was born on 26 February 1977 in
Kuching Kuching (), officially the City of Kuching, is the capital and the most populous city in the States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Sarawak in Malaysia. It is also the capital of Kuching Division. The city is on the Sarawak River ...
,
Sarawak Sarawak (; ) is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia. The largest among the 13 states, with an area almost equal to that of Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak is located in northwest Borneo Island, and is bordered by the M ...
,
Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
to Malaysian Chinese parents. Wan and his family moved to
Perth Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...
, Western Australia when he was seven. He attended
Lake Tuggeranong College Lake Tuggeranong College is an Australian Capital Territory public school catering to Year 11 and 12 students (aged between 16 and 20 years). It is located in the Tuggeranong, Canberra, close to Tuggeranong Town Centre and on the shores of La ...
in
Canberra Canberra ( ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ci ...
before returning to Perth as an adult. Wan relocated from Perth to
Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
, where he attended
RMIT University RMIT University, officially the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology,, section 4(b) is a public research university in Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city ...
; he graduated from RMIT with a Bachelor of Arts in Media in 1998.


Career


2004–2006: Debut

Prior to 2003, Wan and his friend, fellow filmmaker
Leigh Whannell Leigh Whannell (; is an Australian screenwriter, actor, film producer, and film director. He is best known for writing films directed by his friend James Wan, including ''Saw'' (2004), ''Dead Silence'' (2007), '' Insidious'' (2010), and '' Insi ...
, had begun writing a script for a horror film, citing their dreams and fears as inspiration for its plot. Upon completing the script, Wan and Whannell had wanted to select an excerpt from their script, later to be known as ''
Saw A saw is a tool consisting of a tough blade, wire, or chain with a hard toothed edge. It is used to cut through material, very often wood, though sometimes metal or stone. The cut is made by placing the toothed edge against the material and mov ...
'' and film it to pitch their film to studios. With the help of
Charlie Clouser Charles Alexander Clouser (born June 28, 1963) is an American keyboardist, composer, record producer, and remixer. He worked with Trent Reznor for Nine Inch Nails from 1994 to 2000, and is a composer for film and television; among his credits a ...
, who had composed the score for the film, and a few stand-in actors, Wan and Whannell shot the film with a relatively low budget. Whannell also decided to star in the film as Adam Stanheight, one of the film's main protagonists. After the release of the full-length ''Saw'', the film was met with overwhelming success in the box office both domestically and internationally. The film ended up grossing $55 million in America, and $48 million in other countries, totaling over US$103 million worldwide. This was over $100 million more than the production budget. This led the studio to
green-light To green-light is to give permission to proceed with a project. The term is a reference to the green traffic signal, indicating "go ahead". Film industry In the context of the film and television industries, to green-light something is to ...
the sequel ''
Saw II ''Saw II'' is a 2005 horror film directed by Darren Lynn Bousman and written by Leigh Whannell and Bousman. It is the sequel to 2004's '' Saw'' and the second installment in the ''Saw'' film series. The film stars Donnie Wahlberg, Franky G, G ...
'' and later the rest of the ''Saw'' franchise. Since its inception, the ''Saw'' films have become the highest grossing horror franchise of all time worldwide in unadjusted dollars. In the United States alone, ''Saw'' is the second highest grossing horror franchise, behind only the ''Friday the 13th'' films by a margin of $10 million. Wan directed ''Saw'' (2004) and co-wrote ''
Saw III ''Saw III'' is a 2006 horror film directed by Darren Lynn Bousman from a screenplay by Leigh Whannell and a story by Whannell and James Wan. It is the third installment in the ''Saw'' film series and sequel to 2005's ''Saw II''. The film stars ...
'' (2006). Meanwhile, he and Whannell have predominately served as executive producers to the sequels ''Saw II'', ''Saw III'', ''
Saw IV ''Saw IV'' is a 2007 horror film directed by Darren Lynn Bousman from a screenplay by Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan, and a story by Melton, Dunstan, and Thomas Fenton. It is the fourth installment in the ''Saw'' film series and sequel to ...
'', ''
Saw V ''Saw V'' is a 2008 horror film directed by David Hackl, in his directorial debut, from a screenplay by Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan. It is the fifth installment in the ''Saw'' film series and sequel to 2007's ''Saw IV''. The film stars T ...
'', ''
Saw VI ''Saw VI'' is a 2009 horror film directed by Kevin Greutert, in his feature directorial debut, from a screenplay by Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan. It is the sequel to 2008's ''Saw V'' and sixth installment in the ''Saw'' film series. The fil ...
'', ''
Saw 3D ''Saw 3D'' (also known as ''Saw: The Final Chapter'') is a 2010 American 3D horror film directed by Kevin Greutert and written by Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan. It is the sequel to 2009's ''Saw VI'' and seventh installment in the ''Saw'' ...
'', ''
Jigsaw Jigsaw may refer to: * Jigsaw (tool), a tool used for cutting arbitrary curves * Jigsaw puzzle, a tiling puzzle that requires the assembly of interlocking pieces Arts and media Comics * Jigsaw (Marvel Comics), a supervillain and arch-enemy of ...
'', and '' Spiral''.


2007–2009: Professional setbacks

In 2007, Wan directed two featured films. The first was the horror film ''
Dead Silence ''Dead Silence'' is a 2007 American supernatural horror film directed by James Wan and written by Leigh Whannell. The film stars Ryan Kwanten as Jamie Ashen, a young widower returning to his hometown to search for answers to his wife's death. I ...
'', which was the result of advice from Wan and Whannell's agent at the time; Wan and Whannell have since stated that the film was a negative experience for them. ''Dead Silence'' featured Australian actor Ryan Kwanten and is based on the premise of a legend, whereby the ghost of a ventriloquist, Mary Shaw, removes the tongue of any person who screams in its presence. Rather than a gore movie, Wan described the film as "a creepy doll movie. It's in the spirit of those old ''Twilight Zone'' episodes or Hammer Horror Films. Very old-school." The film grossed over $22 million against a production budget of $20 million. It received negative reviews from critics. Wan's second directorial film of 2007 was the
vigilante Vigilantism () is the act of preventing, investigating and punishing perceived offenses and crimes without Right, legal authority. A vigilante (from Spanish, Italian and Portuguese “vigilante”, which means "sentinel" or "watcher") is a pers ...
action drama film ''Death Sentence'', a film adapted from the 1975 novel of the same name by Brian Garfield that was written as the sequel to ''Death Wish''. The film's protagonist (
Kevin Bacon Kevin Norwood Bacon (born July 8, 1958) is an American actor. His films include the musical-drama film '' Footloose'' (1984), the controversial historical conspiracy legal thriller '' JFK'' (1991), the legal drama '' A Few Good Men'' (1992), t ...
) was a father seeking revenge for his murdered son, who was killed by a local gang. Whannell played a minor character as one of the gang members. Wan described the film as "a raw and gritty, 70s styled revenge thriller ... It's my arthouse movie with guns." The films grossed $17 million against a production budget of $20 million. Similar to Wan's previous film, it received negative reviews. Author Garfield later stated, "I think that, except for its ludicrous violence toward the end, the ''Death Sentence'' movie does depict its character's decline and the stupidity of vengeful vigilantism," adding, "As a story it made the point I wanted it to make." Having worked on his previous three films continuously, Wan told the male lifestyle website ''CraveOnline'' that he was ready for "a bit of time off just to chill... but at the same time I'm using this opportunity to write again." In 2008, Wan directed a trailer for the
survival horror Survival horror is a subgenre of survival of the players as the game tries to frighten them with either horror graphics or scary ambience. Although combat can be part of the gameplay, the player is made to feel less in control than in typical ac ...
video game ''
Dead Space ''Dead Space'' is a science fiction/ horror media franchise created by Glen Schofield and Michael Condrey, developed by Visceral Games, and published and owned by Electronic Arts. The franchise's chronology is not presented in a linear format; ...
''. During this time, Wan and
Tobe Hooper Willard Tobe Hooper (; January 25, 1943 – August 26, 2017) was an American director, screenwriter, and producer best known for his work in the horror genre. The British Film Institute cited Hooper as one of the most influential horror fi ...
were in talks to revive the Texas Chainsaw Massacre series with a trilogy of films, with both planning to direct although the studio instead made 2013's
Texas Chainsaw 3D ''Texas Chainsaw 3D'' (stylized on-screen simply as ''Texas Chainsaw'') is a 2013 American slasher film directed by John Luessenhop, with a screenplay by Adam Marcus, Debra Sullivan and Kirsten Elms. It is the seventh installment in ''The T ...
.


2010–2013: Career resurgence

Wan returned to the horror genre with the film ''
Insidious Insidious may refer to: * ''Insidious'' (film series), a horror film series consisting of the films listed below ** ''Insidious'' (film), a 2010 American supernatural horror film ** '' Insidious: Chapter 2'', a 2013 sequel ** '' Insidious: Chapt ...
'', which premiered at the 2010
Toronto International Film Festival The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the largest publicly attended film festivals in the world, attracting over 480,000 people annually. Since its founding in 1976, TIFF has grown to become a permane ...
as part of the "Midnight Madness" program and was sold to Sony Pictures Worldwide for a seven-figure sum within four hours of the premiere's conclusion. The film began its American theatrical release in the first weekend of April 2011 and achieved third place at the box office, with an estimated US$13.5 million in ticket sales. Starring
Patrick Wilson Patrick Joseph Wilson (born July 3, 1973) is an American actor and director. He began his career in 1995, starring in Broadway musicals. He received nominations for two Tony Awards for his roles in ''The Full Monty'' (2000–2001) and ''Oklahoma ...
,
Rose Byrne Mary Rose Byrne (born 24 July 1979) is an Australian actress. She made her screen debut in the film ''Dallas Doll'' (1994), and continued to act in Australian film and television throughout the 1990s. She obtained her first leading film role i ...
and
Barbara Hershey Barbara Lynn Herzstein, better known as Barbara Hershey (born February 5, 1948), is an American actress. In a career spanning more than 50 years, she has played a variety of roles on television and in cinema in several genres, including weste ...
, the film was made independently, as Wan sought complete creative control and also wanted to make a film that was markedly different from the gore that he had become synonymous with due to ''Saw''. Wan stated in an interview, "the fact that ''Insidious'' was not being run by a committee really afforded me the luxury to make a film with lots of creepy, bizarre moments that a studio might not 'get.'" Wan later revealed that he wanted to "experiment in other genres, or make films in other genres because I love, Leigh and I have, we're not just horror fans. We're film fans. I love action films. I want to do action films. I want to do romantic comedies. I love all this stuff. So, if I find the good material, I'll do it. Wan's next film, ''
The Conjuring ''The Conjuring'' is a 2013 American supernatural horror film directed by James Wan and written by Chad Hayes and Carey W. Hayes. It is the inaugural film in ''The Conjuring'' Universe franchise. Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga star as Ed and ...
'' (2013), centered on the real life exploits of husband and wife
Ed and Lorraine Warren Edward Warren Miney (September 7, 1926 – August 23, 2006) and Lorraine Rita Warren (; January 31, 1927 – April 18, 2019) were American paranormal investigators and authors associated with prominent cases of alleged hauntings. Edward was a ...
, a married couple that investigated paranormal events. The film focused on the couple's most famous case second to
the Amityville haunting ''The Amityville Haunting'' is a 2011 direct-to-video horror film released on December 13, 2011. The film is inspired by the 1977 book '' The Amityville Horror''. The film was produced by The Asylum The Asylum is an American independent fil ...
, in which they investigated a witch's curse on a Rhode Island family farm. In his second collaboration with the pair, Patrick Wilson starred in the film, with him and
Vera Farmiga Vera Ann Farmiga ( ; born August 6, 1973) is an American actress who is best known for portraying paranormal investigator Lorraine Warren in the Conjuring Universe films '' The Conjuring'' (2013), '' The Conjuring 2'' (2016), '' Annabelle Co ...
playing the husband and wife respectively. Filming commenced in
North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...
, United States, in late February 2012 and
New Line Cinema New Line Cinema is an American film production studio owned by Warner Bros. Discovery and is a film label of Warner Bros. It was founded in 1967 by Robert Shaye as an independent film distribution company; later becoming a film studio after ...
, together with
Warner Bros. Pictures Warner Bros. Pictures is an American film production and distribution company of the Warner Bros. Pictures Group division of Warner Bros. Entertainment (both ultimately owned by Warner Bros. Discovery). The studio is the flagship producer of ...
, had initially slated the film for a release on 25 January 2013. A test screening of the film occurred in October 2012 at the New York Comic Con event, where it screened in the IGN Theater, and the audience feedback was overwhelmingly positive. At that stage, Wan had several more weeks before the film was completed. The film was released in July 2013 and was a critical and commercial success, grossing $319.5 million. After work on ''The Conjuring'' was complete, Wan directed a sequel to 2010's ''Insidious''. The film was once again written by Wan's longtime collaborator and close friend, Whannell, and the cast of the original film returned. Filming for the sequel commenced in January 2013 and the film was released on 13 September 2013. The budget for the film had been described as "shoestring" by one media outlet. Oren Peli, the creator of the ''Paranormal Activity'' franchise, returned as an executive producer. Film District distributed '' Insidious: Chapter 2.'' It received mixed reviews but grossed over $161 million worldwide against a budget of $5 million. Wan later admitted that he wasn't as involved in the sequel, adding "it would be good to shepherd it and keep it more in track to the version I had when I made the first film so that it doesn't detour too far" since he never intended to make a sequel initially.


2014–present: Professional expansion, Atomic Monster and Blockbuster films

In early 2013, Wan entered into negotiations with
Universal Pictures Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...
to direct the seventh installment to ''
Fast & Furious ''Fast & Furious'' (also known as ''The Fast and the Furious'') is a media franchise centered on a series of action films that are largely concerned with street racing, heists, spies, and family. The franchise also includes short films, ...
'' action franchise after
Justin Lin Justin Lin (, born October 11, 1971) is a Taiwanese-American film director. His films have grossed US$2.3 billion worldwide as of March 2017. He is best known for his directorial work on '' Better Luck Tomorrow'' (2002), the ''Fast & Furious'' f ...
, who directed the previous four sequels, confirmed that he would not continue as director in January 2013. Wan was part of a directorial shortlist alongside
Jeff Wadlow Jeffrey Clark Wadlow (born March 2, 1976) is an American writer, producer and director. Feature films that he has both written and directed include ''Truth or Dare'', '' Kick-Ass 2'' and ''Fantasy Island''. Life and career Wadlow was born in ...
,
Baltasar Kormákur Baltasar Kormákur Baltasarsson (born 27 February 1966) is an Icelandic actor, theater and film director, and film producer. He is best known for directing the films '' 101 Reykjavík'', '' The Sea'', '' A Little Trip to Heaven'', '' Contraband ...
and
Harald Zwart Harald Zwart (born 1 July 1965) is a Dutch-Norwegian film director. Life and career Although born in the Netherlands, Zwart was raised in Fredrikstad, Norway. By age eight, he had started making short films. He attended the Dutch Film Academy in ...
. A final confirmation that Wan would direct was revealed in April 2013, with Lin approving. The film, ''
Furious 7 ''Furious 7'' (also known as ''Fast & Furious 7'') is a 2015 American action film directed by James Wan and written by Chris Morgan. It is the sequel to ''Fast & Furious 6'' (2013) and '' The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift'' (2006), and ser ...
'', was released in April 2015. It became the most commercially successful film in the franchise, grossing over $1.516 billion globally and received positive reviews. Wan later completed a deal to direct ''
The Conjuring 2 ''The Conjuring 2'' (known in the United Kingdom as ''The Conjuring 2: The Enfield Case'') is a 2016 American supernatural horror film, directed by James Wan. The screenplay is by Chad Hayes, Carey W. Hayes, Wan, and David Leslie Johnson. It i ...
'' as part of a significant long-term deal with New Line Cinema. Head of New Line, Toby Emmerich, explained that Wan is the sole director that the studio signed a deal with, as New Line considers Wan to be "a class of one". The film was released on June 10, 2016, to high critical acclaim and commercial success. That same month, Wan launched his own production company,
Atomic Monster Productions Atomic Monster is an American film and television production company, founded in 2014 by James Wan. The company is known for producing films in ''The Conjuring'' Universe, '' Lights Out'', ''Mortal Kombat'', ''Malignant'' and '' M3GAN''. Overvi ...
, at
New Line Cinema New Line Cinema is an American film production studio owned by Warner Bros. Discovery and is a film label of Warner Bros. It was founded in 1967 by Robert Shaye as an independent film distribution company; later becoming a film studio after ...
. With the company, he develops and produces budget films in the science fiction, horror, and comedy genres. Films produced by the label included ''The Conjuring 2'' and '' Lights Out''. Wan later produced '' Demonic'', a Dimension Films horror movie that was scheduled for a December 2014 release, alongside Lee Clay. Wan conceived the idea for the film, which was directed by Will Canon and features Maria Bello in the lead role. Max La Bella penned the script. The film was eventually released on VOD in August 2017. He then produced '' Annabelle'', a spin-off of ''The Conjuring'' that served as a prequel to the 2013 film. The spin-off was profitable, made on a budget of $6.5 million and grossing over $256 million As part of the franchise, he also produced the prequel film '' Annabelle: Creation'' ''(''2017); another ''Conjuring'' spin-off horror film,'' The Nun'' (2018); and ''
Annabelle Comes Home ''Annabelle Comes Home'' is a 2019 American supernatural horror film written and directed by Gary Dauberman, in his directorial debut, from a story by Dauberman and James Wan, who also served as producer with Peter Safran. It serves as a sequ ...
'' (2019). Wan co-wrote ''The Nun'' and ''Annabelle Comes Home'' with
Gary Dauberman Gary Dauberman is an American screenwriter and director. He is known for writing The Conjuring Universe horror films '' Annabelle'' (2014), '' Annabelle: Creation'' (2017), '' The Nun'' (2018), and ''Annabelle Comes Home'' (2019). He made his dir ...
. In 2018, Wan directed the
DC Extended Universe The DC Extended Universe (DCEU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films and television series produced by DC Studios and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It is based on characters that ...
superhero film A superhero film (or superhero movie) is a film that focuses on the actions of superheroes. Superheroes are individuals who possess superhuman abilities and are dedicated to protecting the public. These films typically feature action, advent ...
''
Aquaman Aquaman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, the character debuted in ''More Fun Comics'' #73 (November 1941). The character is a pastiche of Namor. Initially ...
.'' The film grossed over $1.148 billion worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing DCEU film as well as the highest-grossing film based on a DC Comics character, internationally, surpassing ''
The Dark Knight Rises ''The Dark Knight Rises'' is a 2012 superhero film directed by Christopher Nolan, who co-wrote the screenplay with his brother Jonathan Nolan, and the story with David S. Goyer. The film is based on the DC Comics character Batman, it is th ...
''. In 2019, Wan developed a
television series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite television, satellite, or cable television, cable, excluding breaking news, television adverti ...
based on the character
Swamp Thing The Swamp Thing is a superhero in American comic books published by DC Comics. A humanoid/plant elemental creature, created by writer Len Wein and artist Bernie Wrightson, the Swamp Thing has had several humanoid or monster incarnations in v ...
, for the
DC Universe The DC Universe (DCU) is the fictional shared universe where most stories in American comic book titles published by DC Comics take place. Superheroes such as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Robin, Martian Manhunter, The Flash, Green Lant ...
streaming service. On 7 August 2015, Wan signed-on to produce
New Line Cinema New Line Cinema is an American film production studio owned by Warner Bros. Discovery and is a film label of Warner Bros. It was founded in 1967 by Robert Shaye as an independent film distribution company; later becoming a film studio after ...
's 2021 '' Mortal Kombat'' reboot. Four years later, the
South Australian Government The Government of South Australia, also referred to as the South Australian Government, SA Government or more formally, His Majesty’s Government, is the Australian state democratic administrative authority of South Australia. It is modelled o ...
's budget included a huge boost to the South Australian Film Corporation, with the ''Mortal Kombat'' reboot, as the largest film production in the state's history, set to be a key recipient. In 2021, Wan directed the horror film ''
Malignant Malignancy () is the tendency of a medical condition to become progressively worse. Malignancy is most familiar as a characterization of cancer. A ''malignant'' tumor contrasts with a non-cancerous ''benign'' tumor in that a malignancy is not s ...
'', starring Annabelle Wallis; and co-produced the
film adaptation A film adaptation is the transfer of a work or story, in whole or in part, to a feature film. Although often considered a type of derivative work, film adaptation has been conceptualized recently by academic scholars such as Robert Stam as a dial ...
of the slasher novel ''
There's Someone Inside Your House ''There's Someone Inside Your House'' is a horror novel by American author Stephanie Perkins, published on September 12, 2017, by Dutton Books. The novel's film adaptation, a slasher film of the same name, was directed by Patrick Brice, and wa ...
'' by Stephanie Perkins, under his Atomic Monster label, alongside
Shawn Levy Shawn Adam Levy (born July 23, 1968) is a Canadian film director, film producer, actor, and founder of 21 Laps Entertainment. He has worked across genres and is perhaps best known as the director of the '' Night at the Museum'' film franchise an ...
's 21 Laps Entertainment for
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
. On November 16, 2022, it was announced that Wan's production company Atomic Monster was in talks to merge with
Jason Blum Jason Ferus Blum "Jason Ferus Blum was born in LA in 1969 to Shirley Neilsen, an art professor, and Irving Blum, an art dealer" (; born 1969) is an American film and television producer. He is the founder and CEO of Blumhouse Productions, whic ...
's
Blumhouse Productions Blumhouse Productions (; also known as BH Productions or simply BH) is an American film and television production company founded in 2000 by Jason Blum. It is known mainly for producing horror films, such as '' Paranormal Activity'', '' Insid ...
with the company having a shared first look deal with
Universal Pictures Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...
. Both companies would continue to operate as separate labels, with each maintaining its own creative autonomy and brand identity.


Future projects

Wan currently has multiple projects in the works, many of which have been in development for years. In June 2014,
20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Dis ...
acquired the rights to Wan's graphic novel ''
Malignant Man ''Malignant Man'' is a 2011 graphic novel by James Wan. Synopsis Diagnosed with terminal cancer, Alan Gates is resigned to die, until he learns that his tumor is really a parasite. With a new lease on life and incredible, otherworldly powers ...
''. Wan was to develop the concept with a view to directing and producing the film. At the time of the announcement, comic book label
BOOM! Studios Boom! Studios (styled BOOM! Studios) is an American comic book and graphic novel publisher, headquartered in Los Angeles, California, United States. History Origins In the early 2000s, Ross Richie and Andrew Cosby had been working in Ho ...
was slated for a production role alongside co-producers Stephen Christy, Ross Richie and Adam Yoelin. Wan has stated that he will direct, co-produce and co-write the film with Ingrid Bisu. In February 2018, Wan was confirmed to executive produce the animated adaptation of
Stan Sakai is a Japanese-born American cartoonist and comic book creator. He is best known as the creator of the comic series '' Usagi Yojimbo''. Career He began his career by lettering comic books (notably ''Groo the Wanderer'' by Sergio Aragonés and Ma ...
's ''
Usagi Yojimbo is a comic book series created by Stan Sakai. It is set primarily at the beginning of the Edo period of Japanese history and features anthropomorphic animals replacing humans. The main character is a rabbit ''rōnin'', Miyamoto Usagi, whom Saka ...
'' comic book series. The series will premiere on
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
and will be a
CGI animated Computer-generated imagery (CGI) is the use of computer graphics to create or contribute to images in art, printed media, video games, simulators, and visual effects in films, television programs, shorts, commercials, and videos. The images m ...
show (titled '' Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles''). Later, ''
The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
'' reported that Wan and producers
Roy Lee Roy Lee (born March 23, 1969) is an American film producer. Lee's production company, Vertigo Entertainment, has a first-look deal with Warner Bros. Early life Lee was born in 1969 at Wyckoff Heights Hospital, in Brooklyn, New York, to Korean ...
and Larry Sanitsky were developing a film adaptation of the
Stephen King Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author of horror, supernatural fiction, suspense, crime, science-fiction, and fantasy novels. Described as the "King of Horror", a play on his surname and a reference to his high s ...
novel ''
The Tommyknockers ''The Tommyknockers'' is a 1987 science fiction novel by Stephen King. While maintaining a horror style, the novel is an excursion into the realm of science fiction for King, as the residents of the Maine town of Haven gradually fall under the i ...
'' and shopping the package to studios. ''Deadline'' later reported that
Universal Universal is the adjective for universe. Universal may also refer to: Companies * NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company ** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of NBCUniversal ** Universal TV, a ...
had won the bidding war and acquired the feature film package. Wan will produce the film adaptation under his Atomic Monster label, with an eye to direct. A sequel to ''Aquaman'' is also officially confirmed to be in development, with Warner Bros. Entertainment courting Wan to return as writer and director. Discussions of a follow-up film had begun during post-production, when Wan stated to the British movie magazine ''
Total Film ''Total Film'' is a British film magazine published 13 times a year (published monthly and a summer issue is added every year since issue 91, 2004, which is published between July and August issue) by Future Publishing. The magazine was launched ...
'' that the first film purposefully left room for further stories. In 2021, Wan executive produced the television adaptation of ''
I Know What You Did Last Summer ''I Know What You Did Last Summer'' is a 1997 American slasher film directed by Jim Gillespie, written by Kevin Williamson, and starring Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe and Freddie Prinze Jr. It is loosely base ...
'' for
Amazon Prime Amazon Prime is a paid subscription service from Amazon which is available in various countries and gives users access to additional services otherwise unavailable or available at a premium to other Amazon customers. Services include same, one- ...
. He is also attached to a television series based on the Italian horror comics series ''
Dylan Dog ''Dylan Dog'' is an Italian horror comics series created by Tiziano Sclavi and published by Sergio Bonelli Editore since 1986. The series features the eponymous character, a paranormal investigator who takes on cases involving supernatural e ...
''. In March 2020, Wan was announced to be working with
Universal Pictures Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...
to produce a modern remake of ''
Frankenstein ''Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'' is an 1818 novel written by English author Mary Shelley. ''Frankenstein'' tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a sapient creature in an unorthodox scientific ex ...
''. Wan will produce the horror film ''Border Patrol'' with
Screen Gems Screen Gems is an American brand name used by Sony Pictures' Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Picture Group, a subsidiary of Japanese multinational conglomerate, Sony Group Corporation. It has served several different purposes for its parent ...
, with
Johannes Roberts Johannes Roberts (born 24 May 1976) is a British film director, screenwriter and producer. He directed the film '' 47 Meters Down'' and its sequel, as well as ''The Other Side of the Door'', '' The Strangers: Prey at Night'' and '' Resident Evi ...
directing the movie.


Unreleased projects

In 2009, a Whannel–Wan collaborative project, called ''X Ray'', was announced and was described as a new "film noir/action project", with producer Robbie Brenner also attached to the project; however, as of December 2012, no further developments were reported. It was also announced that an adaptation of Scott O. Brown graphic novel ''Nightfall'' was to be Wan's next film after ''Death Sentence''. The plot involves the events that take place after a criminal is sent to a Texas prison run by vampires. However, nothing materialised and Wan lost the rights to the film. In 2012, Disney was reported to be developing a remake of ''
The Rocketeer The Rocketeer is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books originally published by Pacific Comics. Created by writer/artist Dave Stevens, the character first appeared in 1982 and is an homage to the Saturday matinee serial heroes ...
''Brodesser-Akner, Claude
"Exclusive: Disney's 'The Rocketeer' Being Reloaded."
''vulture.com'', 21 August 2012. Retrieved: 22 August 2012.
and Wan was in talks about directing the film. However, no film ever came to fruition. Similarly, Wan's negotiations to direct an adaption of the 1980s television series ''
MacGyver Angus "Mac" MacGyver is the title character and the protagonist in the TV series ''MacGyver''. He is played by Richard Dean Anderson in the 1985 original series. Lucas Till portrays a younger version of MacGyver in the 2016 reboot. In both p ...
'' film never materialised and he pulled out from directing due to scheduling conflicts. Instead, a
reboot In computing, rebooting is the process by which a running computer system is restarted, either intentionally or unintentionally. Reboots can be either a cold reboot (alternatively known as a hard reboot) in which the power to the system is physi ...
television series titled ''
MacGyver Angus "Mac" MacGyver is the title character and the protagonist in the TV series ''MacGyver''. He is played by Richard Dean Anderson in the 1985 original series. Lucas Till portrays a younger version of MacGyver in the 2016 reboot. In both p ...
'' premiered in September 2016. Wan executive produced the series and directed the pilot episode. Wan was also at one point attached to the director role for a live action ''
Robotech ''Robotech'' is a science fiction franchise that began with an 85-episode anime television series produced by Harmony Gold USA in association with Tatsunoko Production and first released in the United States in 1985. The show was adapted from ...
'' film for Sony, but was replaced by Andy Muschietti in July 2017. A "horror-tinged" spin-off of ''Aquaman'' called ''The Trench'' was in development. Wan would have produced while Noah Gardner and Aidan Fitzgerald were signed on to write the script. It was cancelled by April 2021.


Personal life

On 22 June 2019, Wan became engaged to Romanian-German actress Ingrid Bisu, making the announcement on his
Instagram Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...
account. They married in November 2019.James Wan Officially Marries Actress Ingrid Bisu
. ''NextShark.'' 4 November 2019.


Filmography


Film


Short film


Television


Recurring collaborations


Actors

Throughout his directorial career, Wan has cast certain actors repeatedly:


Film crew

Wan has also worked with certain crew members repeatedly throughout his directorial career:


Reception

Critical, public and commercial reception to films James Wan has directed as of 16 September 2021:


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Wan, James 1977 births Film directors from Melbourne Horror film directors Australian comics writers Living people Malaysian emigrants to Australia Malaysian people of Chinese descent Australian expatriates in the United States People from Kuching People from Perth, Western Australia RMIT University alumni People educated at Lake Tuggeranong College English-language film directors Australian people of Malaysian descent Australian people of Chinese descent Malaysian comics writers Malaysian expatriates in the United States