growing again.
James Wan, and creator of the horror franchise, is developing a new take on the classic Universal monster property and is in early talks to direct the feature project.
The move came after Vaughan and his colleagues presented Universal with a pitch to remake the 1954 monster classic. A writer will now be hired to write the script, working with Vaughan.
This is the first project Vaughn has attached himself to as a director since his company’s production banner, Atomic Monster, merged with Blumhouse. Van DC has been under water for the past few years on the superhero film and has been trying to somehow get back to his horror roots.
Wan will serve as producer, while Atomic Monster’s Michael Clare and Judson Scott will serve as executive producers.
The black-and-white film, shot in the slick and popular 3D format, tells the story of a prehistoric water-breathing humanoid monster and a group of scientists who want to study it. It was one of Universal’s last great monster films, combining a captivating blend of horror, tragedy, and romance, and introduced audiences to the unique Gilman aka The Creature, the last of its kind.
Jack Arnold, who directed sci-fi classics, directed the film which featured Julie Adams as a woman who caught the creature’s eye.
Hollywood has tried to bring it back since the 1980s, when John Landis tried to create iterations, while John Carpenter and even Ivan Reitman developed takes in the 1990s. Gary Ross started it in the 2000s with the intention of following in his father’s footsteps—Arthur A. Ross co-wrote the script—as did Brick Eisner.
More recently, the character was to be part of Universal’s Dark Universe monster films in the 2010s, with Will Bell writing the episode. The Dark Universe initiative eventually fizzled out as the studio focused on a more filmmaker-centric approach.
Wan’s take is described as a grounded, modern retelling that will lean into visceral horror, while respecting the original.
Executive VP Production Development Jay Polidoro will oversee the project for Universal.
Atomic Monster, along with Blumhouse, produced the thriller earlier this year and is working on a sequel to the horror hit, due in 2025, and a spin-off, due in 2026.
Vaughan is repped by CAA, Stacey Testro International and Myman Greenspan Fox.
Credit : www.hollywoodreporter.com