Horror maestros Jason Blum and James Wan are in advanced talks to merge their companies, Blumhouse Productions and Atomic Monster, into a mega house of chills and thrills.Blumhouse, known for its low-budget approach to terror, is currently under a first look deal with Universal, which would extend to Atomic Monster as long as the deal closes. Wan's first-look deal with Warner Bros. ended earlier this year after nearly a decade.Thanks to the success of skin-crawling franchises such as "Halloween," "Paranormal...
Atomic Monster
James
Wan
With more than $1 billion earned by 2018’s “Aquaman,” Wan’s value as a director has risen far above his “Saw” roots, putting immense pressure on follow-up “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” to deliver the goods again for Warner Bros. and its fledgling DC Extended Universe. The Jason Momoa-led superhero spectacle was moved from this holiday season to December 2023 as the studio reshuffles its tentpoles under the new ownership of Warner Bros. Discovery, where Wan’s directing chops can help lighten the company’s inherited debt load. Otherwise, Wan and his Atomic Monster prodco are as active as ever, prepping evil-doll thriller “M3GAN” with Blumhouse (Wan and Jason Blum are in talks to combine their companies) for Universal to kick off the 2023 film calendar, plus new films set for the “Insidious” and “Saw” franchises alongside “The Nun 2” for Warner Bros.’ “Conjuring” universe.