After the terrific opening weekend of The Invisible Man everyone is wondering what the film’s director, Leigh Whannell, will be up to next. The Invisible Man 2? More Universal monster movie remakes? Something completely different?
We’re not sure what he will do next but we do know where he will do it. THR is saying that Whannell has signed a two-year, first-look deal with Blumhouse for projects related to TV and movies. The pact will include anything that Whannell writes, directs or produces. Long story short: Blumhouse is in the Whannell business for the foreseeable future.
That shouldn’t be surprising because they have a wonderful working relationship. Back in 2010, Whannell and his long-time collaborator James Wan launched their super successful Insidious franchise with Blumhouse. Jason Blum and Whannell obviously like each other. Just look at this statement from Whannell:
“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 being. 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.”
You’ll notice that Whannell mentioned Blumhouse expanding into the world of television. That is obviously a medium that the production company is extremely interested in and you can’t blame them after the successes they’ve found in theaters. Why not take a chance on the small screen too? And if you are trying to make a splash on TV, what better way to do it then with a successful director with multiple hits under his belt? Blumhouse would be lucky to have Whannell’s name attached to any project they pitch for television.
But if Blumhouse is really smart they will see that Whannell produces more remakes featuring the classic Universal movie monsters. The way he transformed The Invisible Man into something topical, timely and still supremely intense was brilliant. He should update the entire roster, or at least find talented filmmakers to do so. Blumhouse has close ties to Universal and obviously Uni is happy with the numbers that The Invisible Man is producing. I am sure they’d be ecstatic to see him tackle a few more well-known ghouls from their extensive catalogue.