Director James Wan returns to the genre that first embraced him with Malignant, a creepy horror film with a The Exorcist/Paranormal Activity vibe. Wan’s directing credits include the original Saw, Dead Silence, the first Insidious, and The Conjuring 1 & 2, but he recently took a break from helming films of the horror genre with Fast & Furious 7, Aquaman, and an episode of MacGyver (a series he executive produced). Sure, Wan’s been involved as a producer on films in the Saw, Insidious, and The Conjuring franchises, but his presence behind the camera has been missed, no more so than with 2021’s The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It.
The official Malignant trailer introduces Annabelle Wallis (Annabelle), looking a lot like a young Jaclyn Smith (Charlie’s Angels), as a woman with a disturbing paranormal past. The cast also includes Maddie Hasson (Mr. Mercedes), George Young (Containment), Michole Briana White (Dead to Me), Jacqueline McKenzie (Palm Beach), Jake Abel (Supernatural), and Ingrid Bisu (The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It).
Akela Cooper (M3GAN) wrote the screenplay, based on a story by Wan, Cooper, and Ingrid Bisu. Wan and Michael Clear produced, and Eric McLeod, Judson Scott, Bisu, Peter Luo, Cheng Yang, Mandy Yu, and Lei Han executive produced.
The R-rated horror film’s behind-the-scenes team includes director of photography Don Burgess, editor Kirk Morri, production designer Desma Murphy, costume designer Lisa Norcia, and composer Joseph Bishara.
Warner Bros Pictures has set a September 10, 2021 release in theaters and on HBO Max.
The Plot:
In the film, Madison is paralyzed by shocking visions of grisly murders, and her torment worsens as she discovers that these waking dreams are in fact terrifying realities.