James Wan Would Love To Build A Malignant Cinematic Universe
James Wan loves a good cinematic universe. From his very own CCU ("The Conjuring" cinematic universe, of course) to his work on "Aquaman" and the DC Extended Universe, the man can't stop and he won't stop.
Also, there are so many "Saw" movies, which has to count for something. Is the Sawniverse a thing? Maybe it should be. Anyway, in an interview with Comicbook.com, the horror director full-on teased the possibility of a "Malignant" cinematic universe and it is music to our body horror-loving ears.
Halloween has officially come early. Or Christmas. Whichever one feels right.
"Malignant" careened into theaters (and onto streaming services) in 2021, quickly becoming one of the most divisive films in Wan's horror career. The film, which follows a woman fresh out of an abusive relationship whose life is flipped upside down after she begins seeing terrifying visions, is one of those movies you either love or you hate. In the interview, Wan went deep into his creative process, explaining that he doesn't so much focus on coming up with sequel ideas as he does fully flesh out the world his movies live in, even if they're completely buck wild (like, obviously, "Malignant"):
"That's pretty much what I do from the very start, and not so much thinking that, 'Oh, there'll be a sequel for this,' but I try to, with all my films, I try to have an idea of what the bigger world would look like, the umbrella universe, if you will. That way, when I make this particular film, I know what is happening at every moment of the film, at every moment of the storytelling, if you will."
Malignant 2: The Twiniverse
While Wan might be the biggest name in horror right now (or if we're being real, the last ten years), he did drive the point home that these movies don't happen just because he has a cool idea. They happen because there's a built-in audience out there begging for a little more Wan:
"Because I know the bigger world that the story takes place in, there are potentially other stories to tell, and that usually is dictated by what the audience wants. If they want more stories, then I have more stories to pull into it. That's my approach, even all the way back to my first film with 'Saw,' is I do know the bigger world, like [writer] Leigh [Whannell] and I knew the bigger world, and if we were fortunate enough to tell other stories, we have stories ready to tell."
See, didn't I tell you that "Saw" basically is it's own cinematic universe at this point? I mean, we're really blurring the lines between a good old-fashioned franchise and a cinematic or extended universe at this point, but language is an ever-shifting beast and the Sawniverse is a much better name than calling it the "Saw" franchise. Regardless, Wan isn't making any promises here, but he did end his thoughts on making more "Malignant" movies with a clear call to action:
"I joked that, for the fans out there that want more of the films, that they should start a groundswell movement. Start a hashtag of a Malignant sequel."
You heard the man! Strap a dummy to your back, start committing mysterious crimes, and above all, don't forget to tweet. The world needs more "Malignant."
My pitch for the sequel title is "M2lignant." I know it's bad and I don't care. James, call me.