Horror worlds are about to collide, creating something of a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup of terror. As reported by Variety, Jason Blum and James Wan are presently in talks to merge their respective companies, Blumhouse Productions (Halloween, The Purge, The Black Phone) and Atomic Monster (The Conjuring 2, Malignant, Lights Out).
Previously, Wan and Atomic Monster had a first-look deal with Warner Bros., whereas Blumhouse is presently under the same deal with Universal. If the deal closes, Blumhouse’s deal with Universal would extend to Wan and company.
James Wan is as close to a contemporary horror master as one gets, with several instant classics to his credit. With his inimitable ghosties and methodical, enviably precise control of the camera, he all but resurrected the haunted house subgenre. He did so, of course, with the assistance of Jason Blum whose Haunted Movies division of Blumhouse released Insidious and all subsequent entries.
Blumhouse movies have been remarkably successful, grossing nearly $5 billion at the worldwide box office. Wan’s ghosts are no meager chickens, either, with both Blumhouse’s and Wan’s collective box office haul nearing $11.6 billion. With a B. Horror rules.
While the two have a forthcoming collaboration in next January’s internet sensation M3gan, a Child’s Play riff about a killer android, the merger is expected to maintain autonomy for both, allowing creative freedom and brand identity to endure.
What do you think about the news? Is this a bright new future for horror, or does it run the risk of homogenizing the genre, resulting in more and more releases feeling like copies of the same Blumhouse thing?
Let us know over on Twitter @DreadCentral!
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Chad Collins
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