After establishing himself as one of today's preeminent horror directors, James Wan (Saw, Insidious) decided to take a breather from the genre after helming last year's The Conjuring. He took on something completely different in Fast & Furious 7, and while that production has seen its fair share of turmoil causing some major delays, Wan is all but wrapped on it now and looking for what's next. And it looks like what he'll be doing is going back to what he does best, grabbing the reins for The Conjuring 2.
Yesterday news broke that New Line was bumping The Conjuring 2 from its October 2015 date down to some time in 2016, fueling speculation the move was accommodate Wan's schedule. That appears to have been the case with Wan returning to produce and direct the film which is now part of a growing franchise. Earlier this month saw the release of Annabelle, a spinoff that didn't include The Conjuring stars Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga. Both are expected to return for the original film's sequel, reprising their roles as paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren. Wan spoke about his time away from horror and how it ultimately sparked his desire to return....
Wan: “It was during the editing of Fast & Furious 7 that my brain started sparking ideas for The Conjuring sequel. Taking a break from horror has allowed me to be creatively rejuvenated. I’m excited to tell the story of the next case-file of Ed & Lorraine Warren and expand on this world we’ve created.”
There had been a plan for Wan to direct an adaptation of his comic book, Malignant Man, but that appears to be on the backburner for now.
