“The studio made no overtures to keep him”: Warner Bros. Reportedly Didn’t Try to Keep James Wan as Aquaman Director Joins Blumhouse to Revive the Horror Genre

James Wan as Aquaman Director Joins Blumhouse to Revive the Horror Genre
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James Wan, who has created much acclaimed franchises like The Conjuring and Aquaman, has been in the news recently for merging his company Atomic House with Blumhouse, where Universal would distribute the movies made. The Aquaman director was not contacted by Warner Bros. Discovery to hang on with the company after the news, after the company’s recent debts after an unfortunate investment.

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Despite the merger between the companies, Jason Blum’s Blumhouse and Wan’s Atomic Monster would still operate as separate labels while maintaining their creative autonomy and brand identity.

James Wan
James Wan

Also Read: 10 Horror Directors Who Made Comic Book Films

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Warner Bros. makes no effort to renew the deal with James Wan

James Wan, who was responsible for directing DCEU’s superhero film Aquaman, had a deal with Warner Bros. Studios that ran out in spring. Despite the reputation of the success of Wan’s films, WB Studios made no effort to renew the deal. With the conditions WB Studios are currently in, the decision to let go of James Wan may not prove to be the best one.

James Wan’s directorial Aquaman proved to be quite a success at the box office as it crossed the mark of $1 billion worldwide. Wan also directed a sequel to the movie, which is currently in post-production.

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Aquaman

James Wan’s detachment from Warner Bros. Entertainment was reported, after which James Wan pursued merging his company Atomic Monster with Blumhouse.

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“Atomic Monster previously had a deal at Warners, where Wan is in postproduction on Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom,” the report reads. “His deal ran out in the spring and the studio made no overtures to keep him.”

Also Read: “It’s amazing to be able to bring awareness”: Jason Momoa Reveals Aquaman 2 Will Feature a Lot on Natural Disasters and Focus on What’s Actually Happening on Earth

The Furious 7 director was even working on a horror spin-off for Aquaman, however, the project was canceled before its completion.

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James Wan merges Atomic Monster with Blumhouse

With the increased demand for the horror genre in the film industry, one of the highest-grossing directors with remarkable horror films to his name, James Wan takes a decision to merge his company with Jason Blum’s Blumhouse Productions.

The alliance between the both would benefit either, with the talent of James Wan and Blumhouse’s existing infrastructure to promote the work in a proper manner.

Jason Blum and James Wan
Jason Blum and James Wan

Both Blumhouse and Atomic Monster have had their fair share at creating horror masterpieces. While the former is known for Ouija, The Exorcist and Happy Death Day, Wan has a reputation for his work on franchises like Aquaman, The Conjuring and Saw.

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“James is probably 70 to 80 percent artist and 30 to 20 percent business person, and I am the reverse,” Blum said during an interview. “We really do complement each other, yin and yang, which is part of what makes this so exciting.” 

Also Read: Aquaman 2 Introduces Major DC Character, Amber Heard Mera’s Son ‘Arthur Curry Jr.’

The recent collaboration between James Wan and Jason Blum is not new as they both have previously on the Insidious franchise. The merger of Atomic Monster and Blumhouse could have promising results with both men’s talents combined.

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Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is scheduled to release on December 25, 2023.

Source: Comicbook

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Written by Saif Madre

Articles Published: 55