Warner Bros. has just released new behind-the-scenes images of their upcoming horror film, Malignant. The new images chronicle director James Wan's highly anticipated return to the horror genre.
Wan, creator of the Saw franchise and architect of The Conjuring universe, hasn't directed a horror film since 2016's The Conjuring 2, and took time away from horror to helm the 2018 superhero blockbuster, Aquaman. "I’m super excited for this film," Wan enthused when filming wrapped in January. "I don’t even know how to describe it. I wanted to do something original and genre-bending, and different to my other work, but still in the spirit of the horror-thrillers I grew up with." The photos show him right at home framing up shots with cinematographer Michael Burgess or discussing a scene with star Annabelle Wallis.
The film follows Madison (Wallis), a young woman paralyzed by shocking nightmares of grisly murders. Her torment worsens when she discovers that these visions are in fact terrifying realities. Akela Cooper wrote the screenplay, based on a story she crafted with Wan and Ingrid Bisu, who also appears in the film. Malignant was produced by Wan and Michael Clear, with Bisu, Eric McLeod, Judson Scott, Peter Luo, Cheng Yang, Mandy Yu, and Lei Han serving as executive producers. Wan also brought along some of his Aquaman collborators, including editor Kirk Morri and production designer Desma Murphy. Maddie Hasson, George Young, Michole Briana White, Jacqueline McKenzie, and Jake Abel also star.
While Wan's return to the genre is definitely an exciting prospect for any horror fans, the behind-the-scenes photos confirm that his time away hasn't caused him to miss a step. He's as confident as ever, as comfortable with a stripped-down crew as he is on big-budget tentpoles. "This was supposed to be my 'little horror thriller' I do between the big ones," Wan joked in January, "but the pandemic pushed it as long the big ones."
Malignant arrives in theaters and on HBO Max on September 10. Check out more behind-the-scenes photos below:
