James Wan is back to horror with “Malignant”, out in September

James Wan is a busy bee, and everybody knows that. Since he hit the jackpot together with his pal Leigh Whannell with the already cult classic franchises Saw (2004), and later with Insidious (2010) and The Conjuring (2013), he has been non-stop involved in uncountable projects, sometimes as a producer, sometimes as a writer, and sometimes also as a director. After taking a break from horror being responsible for the blockbusters Furious 7 (2015), Aquaman (2018), and the upcoming and already filming Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2022), he still managed to get some free time to make a small horror film, aside from the franchises that so much glory brought him.

Despite the name, Malignant (2021) is not related to James Wan’s graphic novel Malignant Man. As the filmmaker stated, “it’s definitely not a superhero film. Malignant (2021) is an original thriller not based off any existing IP“. The movie centers on Madison, a young woman who is paralyzed by shocking visions of grisly murders. And her torment worsens as she discovers that these waking dreams are in fact terrifying realities.

The movie has been directed produced and directed by James Wan, based on a story by himself and Ingrid Bisu, with the screenplay written by Akela Cooper, known for being the writer of Hell Fest (2018) and the upcoming films in the Wan universe M3GAN and The Nun 2.

The main cast for Malignant (2021) is formed by Annabelle Wallis, Maddie Hasson, George Young, Michole Briana White, Jacqueline McKenzie, Jon Lee Brody, Paula Marshal, Jake Abel, Patrick Cox, Rachel Winfree, Marina Mazepa, Paul Mabon, and Ingrid Bisu.

Behind the cameras, James Wan was joined by his frequent collaborators, director of photography Don Burgess and editor Kirk Morri (The Conjuring 2 (2016), Aquaman (2018)), production designer Desma Murphy (Furious 7 (2015), Aquaman (2018)), as well as costume designer Lisa Norcia (Insidious: The Last Key (2018)). The music is by Joseph Bishara, who has composed the score for all seven films in The Conjuring Universe, among many others.

Malignant (2021), produced by New Line Cinema and James Wan’s Atomic Monster Productions, is Rated R for strong horror, violence and gruesome images, and for language. The movie was first scheduled for a release on August 14, 2020, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it had to be postponed. Finally, Warner Bros. Pictures has scheduled the release on theaters and HBO Max for September 10, 2021. Watch here the official trailer for Malignant (2021).