James Wan: The horror genre keeps saving our industry
Los Angeles, June 1
Known for working in the horror genre with Saw, Insidious franchises, and The Conjuring Universe, filmmaker James Wan feels horror movies keep "saving our industry" because of their enduring popularity.
Speaking at the Produced by Conference on the Universal Lot in LA, Wan said: "I've been a horror fan since I was a kid, and so naturally I grew up on a steady diet of horror movies through the '80s and '90s, inspired by great filmmakers like John Carpenter and Wes Craven.
"I look at them and think, 'You know what? I kind of want to do what they did.' Today we kind of mimic that model. And here we are. I say this to anyone who will listen: The horror genre keeps saving our industry."
His Blumhouse-Atomic Monster collaborator Jordan Blum praised the work of content creators Curry Barker and Kane Parsons, who have worked on new horror movies, Obsession and Backrooms, respectively, reports femalefirst.co.uk.
He said: "Since COVID, there's been this lethargic feeling around theatrical, and is it relevant anymore, and is it going to survive?.
"And what I think is so incredible about Obsession and Backrooms is that they're a new kind of movie. They're made by non-traditional directors, directors who really honed their skills as creators online. Their hope and desire and dream is to make cool movies. Backrooms and Obsession are edgy and weird and .... nuts."
"And to me, there's almost this feeling of the '70s, of a new generation of young people making edgy movies that are connecting in theaters in a crazy way. So many young people grew up in a time when they couldn't go to the movies, and they haven't had something made for them that gets them off their iPad and into theatres."
Wan added: "Suddenly they have two movies."
Blumhouse-Atomic Monster also includes TV, gaming and live events, and Wan and Blum have big plans for the company, which they want to "adapt with the audience".
Blum said: "What's the aspiration? The Disney of horror' is the aspiration in five years."
— IANS
Reader Comments
Interesting point about Backrooms and Obsession being made by non-traditional directors. Shows how digital creators are shifting the industry. But I wish they'd focus on original ideas instead of just franchising everything.
As an Indian filmmaker, I find this refreshing. Horror is universal - our regional cinema from Malayalam to Bengali has brilliant horror stories. Wan proves that genre films can be both artistic and commercially viable. Hoping for more cross-cultural horror collaborations!
Blum saying they want to be the 'Disney of horror' is a bit arrogant. Disney is about magic and family, not scares. But I respect Wan's humility about honoring Carpenter and Craven. The COVID point about young people wanting theater experiences again is spot on.
Love how Wan acknowledges his inspirations! In India, we've had great horror filmmakers like the Ramsay brothers who also started on low budgets. Horror is truly democratic - anyone with a good story and a camera can make something terrifying. 👻
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