James Wan, famous for his exceptional work directing the Saw and The Conjuring franchises, is back in the world of horror with his upcoming movie, Malignant.

After working on features such as Fast and Furious 7 (2015) and Aquaman (2018), Wan is returning to his roots, which are truly in causing panic and fear among audiences. His auteur-like status is seen in every movie he makes, no matter the genre; and it seems that Malignant will be no different.

Malignant follows Madison (Annabelle Wallis), who has been haunted by a ghostly presence for most of her life. Gabriel, the name given to this thing that has attached itself to her, appears to only be in her dreams; but that is not the case.

Once Madison realises that her terrifying visions of gruesome murders are not in her dreams, but are in fact present in her waking life, her torment deepens as she is pulled further and further into a life of pure horror.

Annabelle Wallis in Malignant / Picture Credit: Warner Bros.
Annabelle Wallis in Malignant / Picture Credit: Warner Bros.

The brand-new trailer offers an insightful look into Malignant, and a short interview with Wan himself shows his high hopes for the movie.

“I wanted to do something that was a bit different,” says Wan. “... you gotta take chances, if you don’t, you end up making the same thing again and again...” The director goes on to say that he believes audiences to be “starved for something that’s new and different.”

This shows just how dedicated Wan is to his work, and shows that he wants Malignant to be something new, daring, and an experience all horror fans will adore.

The trailer also shows us some genuinely harrowing clips from the movie, including Gabriel. He is an eerie, domineering presence that appears to eat away at Madison’s mind, causing those around her to be concerned.

Director James Wan on the set of Malignant / Picture Credit: Warner Bros.
Director James Wan on the set of Malignant / Picture Credit: Warner Bros.

Malignant seems to host this dark, almost monochrome look to it, tainting the atmosphere to feel shrouded in sadness, worry, and of course, fear; something that, even in the trailer, sets the scene for a truly outstanding horror movie.

Along with Wallis, Malignant stars Maddie Hasson (TV’s Mr. Mercedes), George Young (TV’s Containment), Michole Briana White (Dead to Me), Jacqueline McKenzie (Palm Beach), with Jake Abel (TV’s Supernatural) and Ingrid Bisu (The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It).

Behind the scenes, Wan was joined by his frequent collaborators, director of photography Don Burgess, editor Kirk Morri (Aquaman, The Conjuring 2), and production designer Desma Murphy (art director, Aquaman, Fast and Furious 7), among others.

Malignant will be in cinemas on September 10th, 2021.

Written by Melissa, who you can follow on Twitter @melissajournal

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