There are classic films, then there are all-time classics that are damn near untouchable. Such is the case with Universal’s “Creature from the Black Lagoon.” First released in 1954, director Jack Arnold’s heralded creature feature is among the most acclaimed of the Universal Monsters classics, right up there with “Bride of Frankenstein.” While the film is close to untouchable, a modern horror master is going to take a crack at it anyway.
We recently learned that James Wan (“Saw,” “The Conjuring”) is developing a “Creature from the Black Lagoon” remake that he intends to direct. This would be his return to horror following the release of last year’s “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.” More than that, one could argue it’s the most bold creative risk Wan has taken in his wildly successful career. It’s hard to picture anyone better suited to the job than Wan. In so many ways, he feels like the perfect man for the job.
For those who perhaps haven’t seen the original, it centers on a group of scientists exploring the Amazon River who stumble upon a missing link in the form of a human-looking creature. They plan to capture it and study it, but the creature has plans of his own. The film features some truly groundbreaking underwater scenes, as well as creature effects that hold up to this day.
We’ve seen near-countless examples of these Universal Monsters classics being reinvented for audiences of a new generation, but they don’t always work out, with 2017’s “The Mummy” serving as the prime example. Yet, it often does work out, just as it did with 1999’s “The Mummy.” It’s all about the execution and a filmmaker having a reason to revive the property. Wan is at a point in his career where he could probably do just about anything he wants. One has to assume that he has a damn good reason to will this movie into existence.
A classic in the hands of a modern horror master
For me, Wan choosing to make this movie is the most compelling reason to have faith that this could be a good idea. Beyond that, it feels fair to say that Wan’s resume as a director speaks for itself. Even outside of horror, he directed one of the biggest movies of all time in “Furious 7,” a film that had to contend with the loss of franchise star Paul Walker. He also directed “Aquaman,” which remains the biggest DC movie in history, amazingly enough. Wan isn’t just a horror guy — he’s straight-up one of our most accomplished purveyors of populist cinema.
The man’s credentials are especially impressive in the world of horror, dating back to 2004’s “Saw,” which started one of the most successful franchises in horror history. With his equally successful follow-up “Insidious,” Wan proved that he was the modern king of doing a whole lot with very little. But it was with 2013’s “The Conjuring” that Wan proved that he could go bigger while also arguably making it better, too. Not only does that movie stand alone as a truly fantastic piece of studio genre filmmaking, but it launched arguably the most successful cinematic universe this side of Marvel. That’s all Wan. This is to say nothing of the truly bonkers big swing that is 2021’s “Malignant.” The guy isn’t afraid to aim for the fences.
Universal has also successfully made new takes on classics in recent years, with 2020’s “The Invisible Man” at the top of the list, not to mention the new “Wolf Man” movie that’s on the way. Taking that into account and looking at Wan’s resume, the picture becomes clear. The time feels right. Wan feels right.
I spoke more about this on today’s episode of the /Film Daily podcast, which you can listen to below:
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