David Pierdomenico
In 2003, James Wan was but a blip on anyone’s radar. He and Leigh Whannell were pitching a short film (which would later become Saw), and they were simply trying to make it in the large vacuum that is Hollywood. Fast forward 15 years, and Wan is helming a $160 million blockbuster whose success will greatly influence the future of the struggling DCEU. And in a strange way, he’s the best chance Aquaman has.
“Bloody” Origins
Often considered to be member of the “Splat Pack” with directors like Rob Zombie, Eli Roth, and Alexandre Aja, James Wan has always seemed like the odd one out. He’s known for co-creating the Saw franchise with Leigh Whannell, and while that series would become known as the beacon of “torture porn”, Wan’s films have never been overly gory. The Saw films may be known for their excessive violence and gore, but when looking back at the original (the only one Wan directed), it plays out much more like a Hitchcockian thriller. And even after that, his method was to make horror films that were more creepy and unsettling than graphic.
Creating Franchises
After a slew of sequels, the Saw franchise seemed to get away from Wan and Whannell. So they channeled their energy into jumpstarting the decaying haunted house subgenre with Insidious. It was very much the breath of fresh air that horror needed in 2010. Wan’s approach was to subvert every trope known in the book. Usually when paranormal activity begins, the audience asks why the family simply doesn’t move. And that’s precisely what they do, just to have the demons follow them because it’s the person that’s haunted rather than the dwelling itself.
Wan would go on to direct Insidious: Chapter 2 in 2013, but stepped back into a producer’s role for the third and fourth installments. So once again, just like with Saw, Wan helped to create a franchise whose legacy lasted after he moved on to direct other things. Wan even went on to direct arguably one of the best horror films of the decade with 2013’s The Conjuring. He went so far as to give it a vintage 70’s feel and really made it feel like one of the horror classics from the decade like The Exorcist or The Omen.
When he directed The Conjuring 2, many called it the best horror sequel ever made. The success of these two films spawned the entire Conjuring Universe with films like Annabelle, The Nun, and the upcoming Crooked Man. This resulted in Warner Brothers grossing over $1.5 billion on a combined budget of only $100 million; something that the studio took great notice of.
Transition to Action
After the financial success of The Conjuring and Insidious, Universal took a chance on Wan and hired him to direct the highly anticipated Furious 7, despite him not having any experience with a traditional action film. The sudden and tragic death of Paul Walker caused the film to go through a great deal of rewrites and reshoots. But Wan still delivered a product that is considered to be one of the best of the entire Fast and Furious series! But it’s not at all surprising when looking at his earlier works. His preference for practical over visual effects gave him the necessary experience he needed with stunts.
It was with all that in mind that Warner Brothers decided Wan would be the best choice to direct their highly anticipated Aquaman film. And with the DCEU in the midst of trying to rekindle their cinematic acclaim and reshape their brand, Wan is the very best chance they have. To date, Wonder Woman is the only film in the franchise to receive unanimous praise. But with Wan’s experience, tone, and style, Aquaman is poised to change the direction for this cinematic universe. And if Wan leaves his mark on the DCEU the same way he did for Insidious and The Conjuring, they will certainly be able to thrive and succeed in the future!
