James Wan, Universal Pictures Team Up for New Monster Movie

Horror maven James Wan is officially entering Universal’s hallowed monster kingdom following his work on M3GAN and Night Swim. 

According to Deadline, the filmmaker behind Insidious and The Conjuring will produce a currently-untitled creature feature on behalf of the studio via his Atomic Monster banner. Leah McKendrick (Scrambled) is set to write and direct the mystery project, which is said to revolve around a being ripped straight out of myth. Michael Clear and Judson Scott will serve as executive producers.

“I’ve been a Universal Monster nerd since I rode the tram at Universal Studios [as a kid] and Horror Nights is my favorite night of the year,” an excited McKendrick wrote on Instagram, confirming the news. “All my dreams are coming true.”

McKendrick, who co-wrote the upcoming reboot of I Know What You Did Last Summer, is the latest in a growing roster of movie-makers to take part in Universal’s contemporary approach to classic monsters. So far, directors like Leigh Whannell, Chris McKay, André Øvredal, and Radio Silence have been tapped to either update or reimagine a slew of silver screen icons by way of The Invisible Man, Renfield, The Last Voyage of the Demeter, Abigail, and the forthcoming Wolf Man. Even Wan himself is currently contemplating a long-awaited reimagining of The Creature from the Black Lagoon.

With that said, McKendrick did take the time to include the Nicaraguan flag in her Instagram post. Not only is it a nod to her maternal heritage, but it COULD also be a major indication of the direction she plans to take with the film. According to Nicaragua.com, the country’s most-feared mythical entity is “La Cegua,” a witch-like being who has the power to drive men insane and move through solid objects.

“She takes on several facades,” reads the description. “At times, she appears in a white corn leaf dress with a veil covering her face. It is said that she has long black hair covering over her face. She is also said to wear a Guarumo Tree leaf dress and her voice is made rasping and hollow by plantain leaves covering her teeth. Others say that her face is ghostly and that her eyes stare into her victim’s souls. Still another version says that she is believed to have the face of a horse. Nicaraguans also say that she walks through the woods and back roads naked, waiting for her next victim.”

Alas, that’s all speculation. We’ll just have to wait and see what direction McKendrick decides to take with the film. We’ll keep you posted! 

Want to stroll down monster memory lane? All of the studio’s classic creature features are now available to own from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment! Looking ahead, the Wan-produced Teacup series will debut two episodes on Peacock this fall.