James Wan

3.1. Debut and the Saw Franchise

Prior to 2003, James Wan and Leigh Whannell began writing a script for a horror film, drawing inspiration from their dreams and fears. To pitch their concept to studios, they decided to film an excerpt from the script, which became known as the short film Saw (also retroactively called Saw 0.5). With a relatively low budget and the help of composer Charlie Clouser, they shot the film, with Whannell also starring as the character David in the short, and later Adam Stanheight in the feature film. The short film won 'Best Guerrilla Film' at the Melbourne Underground Film Festival in 2000.

The full-length feature film Saw, released in 2004, marked Wan's feature directorial debut. It was met with overwhelming commercial success, grossing 55.00 M USD domestically in America and 48.00 M USD internationally, totaling over 103.00 M USD worldwide against a production budget of 1.20 M USD. This success led the studio to green-light the sequel Saw II and subsequently the entire Saw franchise. The franchise has since become one of the highest-grossing horror franchises globally, surpassing 1.00 B USD in total earnings. Wan directed the first Saw film and co-wrote Saw III (2006). He and Whannell have predominantly served as executive producers for the subsequent sequels, including Saw II, Saw IV, Saw V, Saw VI, Saw 3D, Jigsaw, Spiral, and Saw X.

3.2. Early Directorial Work and Setbacks

Following the success of Saw, Wan directed two feature films in 2007. The first was the horror film Dead Silence, which he and Whannell later described as a negative experience for them, made under the advice of their agent. The film, starring Australian actor Ryan Kwanten, is based on the legend of a ventriloquist ghost named Mary Shaw who removes the tongues of those who scream in her presence. Wan described it as "a creepy doll movie" in the spirit of old The Twilight Zone episodes or Hammer Horror Films, aiming for an "old-school" feel rather than gore. It grossed over 22.00 M USD against a production budget of 20.00 M USD but received negative reviews from critics.

Wan's second directorial effort of 2007 was the vigilante action drama film Death Sentence, an adaptation of Brian Garfield's 1975 novel of the same name, which was a sequel to Death Wish. The film starred Kevin Bacon as a father seeking revenge for his murdered son, with Whannell making a minor appearance as one of the gang members. Wan characterized it as "a raw and gritty, 70s styled revenge thriller... my arthouse movie with guns." The film earned 17.00 M USD against a 10.00 M USD budget and also received negative reviews. However, author Brian Garfield stated that the film, despite its "ludicrous violence toward the end," effectively depicted the protagonist's decline and the "stupidity of vengeful vigilantism," conveying the point he intended. Both Dead Silence and Death Sentence were Wan's first films distributed by major U.S. studios, Universal Pictures and 20th Century Fox, respectively. After continuously working on his first three films, Wan decided to take a break to focus on writing. In 2008, he directed a trailer for the survival horror video game Dead Space. During this period, Wan and Tobe Hooper discussed reviving The Texas Chainsaw Massacre series with a trilogy, but the studio ultimately pursued a different direction, leading to 2013's Texas Chainsaw 3D.

3.3. Resurgence in Horror

James Wan made a significant return to the horror genre with Insidious, which premiered at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival as part of the "Midnight Madness" program. The film was quickly acquired by Sony Pictures Worldwide for a seven-figure sum within hours of its premiere. Upon its American theatrical release in April 2011, Insidious secured third place at the box office, with estimated ticket sales of 13.50 M USD. Starring Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, and Barbara Hershey, the film was produced independently, allowing Wan complete creative control. He aimed to make a film distinctly different from the gore that had become associated with his name due to Saw, stating that the independent nature of Insidious afforded him the "luxury to make a film with lots of creepy, bizarre moments that a studio might not 'get.'" Wan also expressed a desire to "experiment in other genres," noting his passion for action films, romantic comedies, and other genres beyond horror.

Wan's next film, The Conjuring (2013), delved into the real-life investigations of paranormal events by husband and wife Ed and Lorraine Warren. The film focused on their case involving a witch's curse on a Rhode Island family farm, a case second in fame only to The Amityville Horror. For his second collaboration with Wan, Patrick Wilson starred alongside Vera Farmiga, who portrayed Lorraine Warren. Filming began in North Carolina in late February 2012, with New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. Pictures initially scheduling a January 2013 release. A test screening at the New York Comic Con in October 2012 garnered overwhelmingly positive audience feedback. The film was ultimately released in July 2013, achieving both critical and commercial success, grossing 319.50 M USD worldwide.

Following The Conjuring, Wan directed Insidious: Chapter 2, a sequel to his 2010 hit. The screenplay was once again penned by Leigh Whannell, and the original cast returned for the film. Production commenced in January 2013, and the movie was released on September 13, 2013. Despite a "shoestring" budget of 5.00 M USD, the film received mixed reviews but grossed over 161.00 M USD worldwide. Wan later admitted that he was not as deeply involved in the sequel's development as he had been with the first film, stating that he had not initially intended to make a sequel and would have preferred to "shepherd it and keep it more in track to the version I had when I made the first film so that it doesn't detour too far."

3.4. Transition to Blockbusters

In early 2013, James Wan entered negotiations with Universal Pictures to direct the seventh installment of Fast & Furious action franchise, following Justin Lin's departure. Wan was selected from a shortlist of directors including Jeff Wadlow, Baltasar Kormákur, and Harald Zwart. His involvement was confirmed in April 2013, with Lin's approval. The film, Furious 7, was released in April 2015 and became the most commercially successful film in the franchise, grossing over 1.52 B USD globally and receiving positive reviews.

In 2018, Wan directed the DC Extended Universe superhero film Aquaman. The film achieved significant box office success, grossing over 1.15 B USD worldwide. It became the highest-grossing DCEU film and the highest-grossing film based on a DC Comics character internationally, surpassing The Dark Knight Rises. Wan returned to direct the sequel, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, released in 2023.

3.5. Atomic Monster and Production Ventures

In June 2016, James Wan launched his own production company, Atomic Monster, under a significant long-term deal with New Line Cinema. New Line's head, Toby Emmerich, noted that Wan was the only director the studio had signed such a deal with, considering him "a class of one." Atomic Monster focuses on developing and producing budget films across science fiction, horror, and comedy genres.

The company has produced a diverse range of projects, including The Conjuring 2 (2016) and Lights Out (2016). Wan also produced Demonic, a Dimension Films horror movie that he conceived, released on VOD in August 2017. He was a producer for Annabelle (2014), a profitable spin-off and prequel to The Conjuring, which grossed over 256.00 M USD on a budget of 6.50 M USD. He continued to produce other films in The Conjuring Universe, including the prequels Annabelle: Creation (2017) and The Nun (2018), as well as Annabelle Comes Home (2019). Wan co-wrote the stories for The Nun and Annabelle Comes Home with Gary Dauberman.

In August 2015, Wan signed on to produce New Line Cinema's 2021 Mortal Kombat reboot. The South Australian Government significantly boosted funding for the South Australian Film Corporation, with Mortal Kombat being the largest film production in the state's history and a key recipient. In 2021, Wan directed the horror film Malignant, starring Annabelle Wallis, and co-produced the film adaptation of Stephanie Perkins' slasher novel There's Someone Inside Your House for Netflix, under his Atomic Monster label alongside Shawn Levy's 21 Laps Entertainment.

On November 16, 2022, it was announced that Atomic Monster was in talks to merge with Jason Blum's Blumhouse Productions, with the combined entity having a shared first-look deal with Universal Pictures. Both companies are expected to continue operating as separate labels while maintaining their creative autonomy and brand identity.

3.6. Television Work

James Wan has also been actively involved in television as a director and executive producer. In 2016, he executive produced the reboot television series MacGyver and directed its pilot episode, "The Rising." The series ran until 2021.

In 2019, Wan developed and executive produced a television series based on the DC Comics character Swamp Thing for the DC Universe streaming service. In 2021, he executive produced the animated series Aquaman: King of Atlantis and the television adaptation of I Know What You Did Last Summer for Amazon Prime. In 2022, he executive produced Archive 81 and the animated adaptation of Stan Sakai's Usagi Yojimbo comic book series, titled Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles, which premiered on Netflix. He is also involved in the upcoming television series Teacup and Copenhagen.

6.1. Feature films

6.2. Short films

6.3. Television