James Wan Returns to Ocean to Talk Remake of Creature from the Black Lagoon

According to foreign media reports, horror film master James Wan plans to "return to the ocean" and is in talks to direct the Universal "Dark Universe" reboot of "Creature from the Black Lagoon". He will develop the script with the screenwriter and serve as producer and director. This is also the first film directed by James Wan after the merger of his Atomic Monsters (film company) and Blumhouse.

Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954 version) (left), The Shape of Water (right)

Creature from the Black Lagoon is a 1954 thriller directed by Jack Arnold. It tells the story of a geological expedition team deep into the Amazon jungle who discovers a prehistoric fish monster, which falls in love with and kidnaps the girlfriend (Julie Adams) of one of the expedition members (Richard Carlson). This classic film inspired Guillermo del Toro to create The Shape of Water.

Creature from the Black Lagoon has been a top priority for Universal Pictures since the studio adjusted its monster movie strategy in 2019 to focus on filmmaker-led projects, and given Wan's track record in horror films, including the hit Saw and The Conjuring series, the film is right up his alley.