Fox Acquires Rights To James Wan's Graphic Novel 'Malignant Man'

That James Wan guy is everywhere. After influencing the horror genre multiple times in the past few years (with Saw and Insidious) he's currently producing the third Insidious, directing Fast and Furious 7, and now selling the rights to a graphic novel he wrote with an eye to direct. The graphic novel is called Malignant Man, and follows a man who thinks he suffers from cancer, only to realize his aliment is actually a mysterious, powerful parasite that gives him powers. Read more about James Wan's Malignant Man below.

Deadline broke the news. Malignant Man was first published in 2012 by Simon and Schuster. It's written by Wan and Michael Alan Nelson with illustrations by Piotr Kowalski. With Fox acquiring the rights, Wan will now develop the graphic novel hoping to direct.

Here's the official description of Malignant Man:

Alan Gates, a cancer patient with a terminal diagnosis, is resigned to his fate...until he discovers that his tumor is actually a mysterious parasite! Granted a second lease on life and incredible, otherworldly powers, Alan must fight against an evil army buried beneath society's skin, all the while unlocking the secrets of his forgotten past. Dark, twisted, and unique, MALIGNANT MAN is a sci-fi thriller that can't be missed!

I love the idea of "an evil army buried beneath society's skin," setting up a scenario where anyone could be infected with this terrible enemy. And though the description describes Malignant Man as a "sci-fi thriller," to me it sounds more like a horror-based superhero film. Certainly the idea of the enemy being below the skin conjures images of peeling, scalping, etc. James Wan famously said he's done with horror but he obviously can't totally get away from the violence and scares that made him such a massive success.

Whether or not this film will be Wan's next after Fast and Furious 7 remains to be seen. Depending on the level of success of that film, it will likely open dozens of other doors for the director. Maybe an 8th Fast and Furious, maybe another franchise film, an original screenplay, the sky is the limit. But with this, Fox has given Wan the chance to take his on-page vision to the big screen, and that's obviously exciting.

Have you read Malignant Man?