It is safe to say that filmmaker Leigh Whannell is having a pretty great week. His latest film, The Invisible Man, is a hit with critics (read my review here) and has already brought in over $49 million worldwide and $29 million domestically. Now, Blumhouse announced that the powerhouse horror film studio and Whannell have signed a two-year deal for additional films and television content from the filmmaker.
As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, Blumhouse’s Jason Blum said in a statement:
Leigh creates movies which not only build franchises, but fundamentally change the landscape of their genre. After he and James Wan made ‘Saw’, it launched dozens of copycats. Their work with Blumhouse on ‘Insidious’ founded not just a franchise but dozens of classical proscenium PG-13 supernatural horror films. I have no doubt that will be true for ‘The Invisible Man’ and for anything else he wants to create. I just want to be there with him when he does!
Whannell also spoke about his partnership with Blumhouse, which has spanned seven projects:
Ten years ago, I walked into Jason Blum’s office thinking that I was having a general meeting with a producer who liked horror movies — little did I know that a decade-long partnership and friendship was about to begin. I have since watched his then-infant company, Blumhouse, grow into a powerhouse of genre films; a nurturing place that is willing to take risks on people. Indeed, they have taken plenty of risks on me and I look forward to taking many more with them as they continue to grow in the world of film and television.
Whannell started his career partnering with James Wan to create the Saw series, writing for the first three films in the franchise. Alongside Wan, he went on to write Dead Silence, Insidious, Insidious: Chapter 2, and Insidious: Chapter 3, the latter of which served as his first directorial role with Upgrade following in 2018.
The Invisible Man stars Elisabeth Moss and is now showing theaters nationwide.
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