Horrordirector James Wan (The Conjuring,Insidious,Saw) recently mentioned a strong desire to adapt one of literature’s most renowned horror classics, H.P. Lovecraft’sTheCall of Cthulu.
Lovecraft, known for his unique brand of “cosmichorror," has often been the subject of big and small screen adaptations, including the recentHBO hit seriesLovecraft Countryand Netflix’sGuillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities, which features a whole episode devoted to Lovecraftian horror. Lovecraft’s stories are often considered among the horror canon’s greatest accomplishments of the early 20th century, inspiring contemporary authors like Neil Gaiman and Stephen King.
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During a recent Reddit AMA session promoting the upcomingInsidious: The Red Door, Wan mentioned his ultimate goal was to create his interpretation of one of Lovecraft’s most chilling and best-loved tales. Wan says, “My dream project, that I have been secretly cooking away on the down low for the last 5 years, isThe Call of Cthulhu.” The tale, one of Lovecraft’s most well-known stories, involves a Boston private investigator investigating a strange cult of octopus-hybrid demon worshippers. It’s a story that’s been taken on in many contexts, including video games, songs, television, and other films several times over the past century since it was initially published in 1928.
If anyone is poised to take on the classic horror author, it’s Wan. His Monster outfit has created some of contemporary horror’s most talked about films. Wan is also behind some of the highest-grossing horror of the past two decades, includingThe Conjuringuniverse films, theInsidiousandSawfranchises, and recent one-off hits likeM3GAN,Lights Out, andMalignant.
Literary-inspired horror is also having a particularly fruitful moment, including several Stephen King adaptations like this year’s Salem’s LotandThe Boogeyman. Even classic horror authors are getting the screen treatment, including a new take on Edgar Allen Poe’sFall of the House of Ushercourtesy of Mike Flanaganfor Netflix.
Wan’s ability to create chilling gore and slow-churn horror seems a perfect match for Lovecraft’s subject matter, which depends greatly on atmosphere building mixed with punctuated scare moments. Since many fans ofhorrorflicks are also avid readers of the genre, many are undoubtedly looking forward to seeing the classic author interpreted through new and exciting eyes.
