We've got ourselves a new look at Malignant, James Wan's triumphant return to the horror genre, and it continues the trend of enigmatic and cryptic teases for the upcoming film full of dread and creepy imagery but no big reveals about the plot.
In addition to directing, Wan also co-wrote Malignant alongside Akela Cooper, based on a story they crafted with Ingrid Bisu. What we do know about the film is that it centers around a woman named Madison (Annabelle Wallis), who gets constant nightmares of grisly murders and discovers that when she wakes up, the murders happened for real. Malignant also stars Maddie Hasson, Mckenna Grace, Jake Abel, George Young, Michole Briana White, and Jacqueline McKenzie.
Wan also produced the film with 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 frequent collaborators from his time with Aquaman and The Conjuring movies, including editor Kirk Morri, production designer Desma Murphy, and composer Joseph Bishara.
The new trailer expands on the story of the film, and the imaginary friend that haunts Madison's dreams, and may jump into reality as a living nightmare. There are hints of giallo inspirations and also some Nightmare on Elm Street, so horror fans should have a ball getting to pick up all the references and influences in the new trailer.
Like the rest of Warner Bros.' 2021 film output, Malignant is getting a day-and-date release in both theaters and on HBO Max, giving audiences a little early Halloween present.
Watch the trailer for Malignant and read its synopsis below. The film will be released on September 10 in theaters and on HBO Max:
“In the film, Madison is paralyzed by shocking visions of grisly murders, and her torment worsens as she discovers that these waking dreams are in fact terrifying realities.”