James Wan slated to direct 'Creature from the Black Lagoon' remake

Universal Pictures struck gold with their remake of The Invisible Man in 2020. Despite having a release window that overlapped with the pandemic, the gritty thriller was a massive hit with both critics and fans. The studio is hoping that lightning will strike twice with the Creature from the Black Lagoon.

James Wan has been in talks with Universal to helm a remake of the beloved 1954 film. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the director and executive producers Michael Clear and Judson Scott are in the process of looking for a screenwriter. The film is slated to be a collab between Universal and Wan's own production company, Atomic Monster.

Wan is rumored to direct and produce the film

Nothing has been confirmed yet, but the fact that the word is out, and the search for a writer is underway, things are looking good. Creature from the Black Lagoon is the first film that James Wan has been attached to direct since Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. The DC blockbuster dropped in 2023, but reshoots and behind the scenes drama resulted in a rollout that felt like it spanned years.

Wan has helmed major blockbusters like Furious 7 (2015) and the first Aquaman (2018), but he's best known for his work in the horror genre. He's been responsible for more franchises than any person in the genre over the last two decades, including Saw, Insidious and The Conjuring.

Universal has been trying to remake Lagoon since the 80s

Hopefully Wan cracks the Creature from the Black Lagoon code that Universal has been struggling with since the 1980s. The studio tried to mount a remake directed by John Landis in 1982, but plans fell through. Since then, esteemed horror directors like John Carpenter, Ivan Reitman and Guillermo del Toro have tried and failed to remake Lagoon.

Guillermo del Toro was so intrigued by the titular creator that he effectively made his own version with The Shape of Water (2017). Despite not having the brand recognition of Lagoon, the horror romance about a fish-like creature was a box office success that took home four Oscars including Best Picture. Here's hoping Wan's remake connects in similarly spectacular fashion.