James Wanhas proven himself a master of his craft in the last 20 years. Dipping effortlessly between billion-dollar blockbusters and low-budget chillers, the Australian filmmaker is always worth keeping an eye on. But having just completed work onAquaman and the Lost Kingdom, the final film in the extinct DC Extended Universe, he’s looking for something a bit closer to his roots.
Wan made his name in Hollywood as the co-creator of theSawfranchise, but really broke into the big time after he directedInsidiousandThe Conjuringto critical acclaim,bringing horror back into the mainstream, and taking a producing role on various spin-offsand follow-ups in both universes. A film, intended to be the finale inThe Conjuringuniverse, entitledLast Rites, has been in development for over a year with franchise starsPatrick WilsonandVera Farmigaattached. Now, Wan’s latest comments will no doubt fuel speculation that he may well fancy one more attempt at tacking the works of Ed and Lorraine Warren.
Speaking with Collider’sPerri Nemiroff, while on the promotional trail forthe superhero film which starsJason Momoaas the titular hero and King of Atlantis, the question was posed to Wan that, having done his work on the twoAquamanfilms as well as done a remarkable job onFurious 7, the bestFast & Furiousfilm for many, was therea chance we could see him change tact and perhaps head back to his horror roots? After all, he did tell Nemiroff that he enjoyed the chance to lean “a little bit more into the darker part of storytelling and visual filmmaking” with the new monsters in the superhero movie.
Will James Wan Direct ‘The Conjuring: Last Rites’?
With Wan confessing that he had an “itch” that he wanted to scratch when it came to the genre in which he cut his teeth,he admitted that he wanted to do a “smaller film.“Now,The Conjuringmay not be as small as it was when it began, but the franchise is definitely smaller thanAquaman.Wan hasn’t said if he’ll be back for the next film inThe Conjuringuniverse, but fans have every reason to remain hopeful:
“You know, I have a tendency to want to go back and forth. So, whenever I make a smaller film, I wanna go and make a big film. Whenever I’m doing a big one, I’m like, “Oh, I wanna go and do a smaller film,” and when I do my smaller films, it tends to be a horror film. So, you know, I feel like the itch for horror is potentially calling, but we’ll see.”
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdomis due to release on June 16, 2025. You can see the final trailer for the movie below.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
Arthur Curry, also known as Aquaman, embarks on an epic quest to a mysterious lost kingdom that could hold the key to saving Atlantis from a looming danger. Teaming up with allies old and new, he faces powerful adversaries and uncovers secrets long buried beneath the ocean’s depths.
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