After directing a pair of Aquaman movies, James Wan is looking to go back into the water, but with his preferred genre. THR reports Wan is developing a Creature from the Black Lagoon film and is in early talks to direct it for Universal.
The 1954 black & white 3D classic centered on a group of scientists investigating a humanoid creature that lives in the Amazon waters. Of course, it goes terribly wrong and people start getting killed. Considered a monster movie classic, the film spawned a pair of sequels, multiple reboot attempts, and inspired Guillermo Del Toro’s The Shape of Water.
Universal has been eyeing a remake for years, initially as part of its “Dark Universe” cinematic universe that went bust. Wan’s movie won’t be a part of that, but it continues the trend established with The Invisible Man, which is to offer updated takes on established classics. This will be Wan’s first horror since his label Atomic Monster merged with Blumhouse. Wan has proven to be a powerhouse producer, recently producing such films as M3GAN, Night Swim, and the upcoming Stephen King adaptation Salem’s Lot.
Once a screenwriter is attached we’ll have a better idea when to expect Creature from the Black Lagoon in theaters, but for now it’s too soon.
