James Wan is an Australian film director known for directing popular horror franchises like SAW, Insidious, and The Conjuring. He began his career in 2004 co-writing and directing SAW, which became one of the highest-grossing horror franchises. His 2010 film Insidious and 2013 film The Conjuring were both commercial successes. Wan has since directed blockbuster films like Furious 7 and Aquaman, making him the highest-grossing director of DC Extended Universe films. He founded his own production company Atomic Monster Productions to produce more horror films.

1. James Wan
Films
 The Conjuring (2013)
 Insidious (2010)
 Malignant (2021)
 SAW (2004)
 Aquaman (2018)
 M3GAN (2022)
 Annabelle (2014)
 The Nun (2018)
 Dead silence (20017)
 The curse of la Llorona (2019)
 Lights out (2016)
Background
James Wan is an Australian director well known for his
contribution in the horror franchise. He was born in Malaysia
and moved over with his parents to Australia when he was
seven. He attended RMIT University where he graduated with
Bachelor of Arts in Media. In 2003, him and his friend Leigh
Whannell began writing a script for the later well-known SAW film.
With help from Charlie Clouser, they pitched their idea and set
ahead with a relatively small budget. Creating SAW 0.5 as their
starter project, a short film to help pitch their idea. Leigh Whannell
posed as the main protagonist Adam Stanheight. The film had
reached box office success. Grossing over $55 million dollars in
America. Leaving it conclude further down the line with the rest of
the SAW franchise. Becoming one of the highest grossing horror
film franchises worldwide in unadjusted dollars.
Wan directed, co-wrote and further down the line became the executive producer for the rest of the
films in the franchise. In 2007 he released dead silence, from the advice of his agent but has since stated
the film to have been a negative experience. Shifting gears from gore to a creepy doll ventriloquist
inspired by the twilight zone episodes of the hammer horror house series. The film received negative
reviews from critics. Wan went to on direct his second film ‘Death sentence’, adapted from the 1975
novel with the same name, describing it as "a raw and gritty, 70s styled revenge thriller ... It's my
arthouse movie with guns. It once again received negative reviews.
Wan came back in 2010, to make insidious and sold to Sony Pictures Worldwide for a seven-figure sum
within four hours of the premiere's conclusion. Reaching third place in the box office and earning $13.5
million in ticket sales. Wanting full creative control, wan stated “the fact that Insidious was not being run
by a committee really afforded me the luxury to make a film with lots of creepy, bizarre moments that a
studio might not 'get.'" His next film the conjuring, a story based on the real-life events of Ed and Lorraine
Warren, became a commercial success grossing $319.5 million. The film centres around the paranormal
events that take place on the story of the Amityville horror, where the couple investigate the witches
curse. A test screening was released to New York comic con a year before and received and wonderful

2. reception. A poor received sequel was released two years later, with Wan commenting that he didn’t
have much involvement in the film due to not wanting a sel.
It’s further down the line Wan, became open to making films that dabble in other genres, always wanting
the urge to make a romantic comedy. He signed a deal with Universal studios to direct the seventh fast
and furious film. Becoming a commercial success grossing over $1.516 globally. Wan went onto directing
the conjuring 2 due to his contracted deal with new line studios. It was in that same year that Wan had
launched his own production company titled atomic monster productions. With the sole purpose of
creating a company that will distribute horror/monster films. Linking future horror project which had his
directorial/producer label assigned to.
Wan then under the production companies name went onto to produce a spinoff series of the conjuring
films. Annabelle. In 2017, wan expanded his future in his creative pursuits and dabbled in the superhero
franchise. Directing the acclaimed DCEU superhero film Aquaman. Becoming the highest grossing DCEU
film and surpassing The Dark knight rises. In 2019 he married Romanian actress Ingrid Bisu.
His latest project has included co-producing Malignant a film that’s heavily based off Stephanie Perkins
slasher novel, ‘there’s someone inside your house’. Any future projects that wan has down the line
include producing a modern remake of Frankenstein with universal pictures and the Aquaman sequel
which is being said to be released in December.
Quotes
 “I think you can say a lot with the movement of your camera but you can also say a lot by
keeping it still.”
 “it’s pretty scary to know how quickly time flies.”
 “We think craft is important, and the irony has always been that horror may be disregarded by
critics, but often they are the best-made movies you're going to find in terms of craft. You can't
scare people if they see the seams.”
He is 9th highest-grossing director of all time as of
2021, with his films having grossed over $3.7
billion worldwide.
He is the first Asian and Australia director to have two
films make a billion dollars at the box office.