Starting his film career in 2000 and finally gaining recognition in 2004, James Wan was acutely aware of how difficult it was to make it in Hollywood, especially as a director. Many directors with great talent but no opportunities found themselves in dire situations, and even he, a well-known director, struggled to find a good opportunity to advance further.
Despite the success of "Saw," which brought Lionsgate Films consistent and substantial profits, the studio had kept him tightly bound to the "Saw" series. After "Saw II," Lionsgate promised to support his new projects if he continued working on another "Saw" installment. Now, with "Saw VI" already in the works, that promise remained unfulfilled.
In the meantime, he had directed "Dead Silence," but the funding had come from another company.
Perhaps the lukewarm success of "Dead Silence" made Lionsgate hesitant to take risks.
After receiving numerous empty promises, James Wan realized that Lionsgate was merely extracting his remaining value and had no intention of supporting his new projects.
Thus, shortly after the New Year, he decided that once "Saw VI" was released, he would sever ties with Lionsgate for good.
For his new work, he needed to find new, genuinely interested collaborators.
At a recent gathering, he shared his thoughts with his friend Justin Lin, who then seriously recommended Matthew to him. What caught James Wan's attention was one particular point: Matthew treated Asian directors and white directors equally.
As an outsider in Hollywood, James Wan had faced countless instances of unfair treatment over the years, with no one to whom he could voice his complaints.
If he could find a relatively fair platform, his ideas could actually be turned into films—this was more important than anything else.
Justin Lin had worked with Matthew on a film and had firsthand experience in this regard. He was confident that what he said was true.
James Wan had also interacted with Matthew before and had even reached out to Daniel Wu for confirmation. Everything aligned with what Justin Lin had described.
Looking at Matthew sitting across from him, James Wan didn't sense the usual condescension or forced proximity that Hollywood often exhibited toward people like him. It felt like sitting with a fellow Chinese in Chinatown, just chatting with someone of the same kind.
It was as if their appearances didn't matter, and they were just two similar people.
"Matthew, I'm planning to move away from the 'Saw' series," James Wan began. Since Justin Lin had already laid the groundwork before leaving, he didn't waste time. "I want to make a new horror movie."
Matthew nodded, "That's a wise decision. A director who stays tied to one series for too long will only limit their growth."
James Wan smiled, "That's exactly what I think." After a brief pause, he continued, "But Lionsgate isn't supporting me, so I plan to end my partnership with them after 'Saw VI' is released this year."
"Do you have any new ideas?" Matthew asked directly.
"Yes," James Wan replied without hesitation. "I'm thinking of taking a different approach."
He elaborated, "I don't want to keep making slasher films like 'Saw.' Do you remember our conversation the last time we talked?"
With this reminder, Matthew recalled that they had discussed the differences between Eastern and Western horror. James Wan had mentioned his interest in incorporating some Eastern-style supernatural horror elements into traditional Western horror films.
Seeing Matthew nod slightly, James Wan continued, "Eastern horror gave me a new idea, and with Leigh Whannell, I've turned that idea into a script."
He then took out a thin script from his bag and handed it to Matthew. "This one is more conventional in format than my previous films."
Matthew opened the script and quickly skimmed through it. The script was very brief, likely just a first draft, with only fifty or sixty pages, concise in content. Even with a quick read, he understood the basic plot: a family excitedly moves into a new home, only to encounter supernatural disturbances.
This haunted house plot didn't seem particularly original or noteworthy.
However, Matthew had never been particularly enamored with highly creative films.
Innovation could lead to unexpected success, but for commercial films, it more often led to losses. There were far too many cautionary tales of this in Hollywood.
After finishing the script, James Wan added, "I want to create a classic Western horror film with some Eastern elements, but not too many."
Matthew nodded lightly, understanding that this was North America, home to the most xenophobic film and media market in the world.
James Wan's approach indicated that he was a director who understood the market, not one of those naïve individuals who thought they could bring over European or Eastern classics and expect them to be huge hits in North America.
It wasn't easy for an outsider to navigate this aspect appropriately.
"Go on," Matthew encouraged him.
Encouraged by Matthew's interest, James Wan continued, "This film will be somewhat similar to 'The Haunting,' 'The Innocents,' and 'The Exorcist.'"
He thought for a moment before adding, "'The Exorcist' was shot in a very imaginative way, almost like a documentary, which is what gave it such a terrifyingly realistic effect. I also want to shoot a film like that, using a controlled, documentary-style approach."
"That would give it a sense of realism?" Matthew grasped the underlying intention.
James Wan nodded vigorously. "In my view, making a film like this is much more challenging than shooting a fast-paced, shock-heavy movie."
He then pulled out a thicker document than the script and handed it over. "This is my project proposal."
Matthew took it and quickly browsed through the initial outline before frowning and asking, "The production budget is only $1.5 million?"
"Yes," James Wan replied with a grin, "A budget of $1.5 million is sufficient."
Matthew skimmed through the project proposal before tapping the armrest of his chair, deep in thought.
There was no doubt that James Wan had brought Lionsgate a consistent and lucrative revenue stream with the "Saw" series.
From that perspective, James Wan was indeed valuable.
However, "Dead Silence" had been a commercially unsuccessful horror film, which was an undeniable fact.
Perhaps it was the underperformance of that film that had led to the current situation between James Wan and Lionsgate.
Matthew's fingers gradually slowed their tapping on the armrest as he came to a decision. Given that there had once been a horror film universe associated with the director of the "Saw" series, bringing James Wan into his camp seemed like the right move.
Last time, during their in-depth conversation, Matthew had come to understand that James Wan was a very thoughtful horror director.
Having ideas didn't guarantee success, but without ideas, success was impossible.
Moreover, this was just an experiment, and a relatively inexpensive one at that, with a budget of only $1.5 million.
While $1.5 million might seem like a lot to an ordinary person, it was less than a tenth of Matthew's own acting fee. Even if the project failed, it wouldn't have any significant impact on him—he could simply walk away from James Wan and not collaborate with him again.
But what if it succeeded, similar to "Saw"? How much did "Saw" cost, and how much did it make? How many DVDs and Blu-rays were sold afterward? How much revenue did the TV rights bring in?
Most large or even mid-sized film companies, with multiple shareholders, had strict greenlighting processes. A film's greenlighting and production were never as simple as handing a script to the CEO or other executives and getting a yes based on its quality.
But 13th Studio was different. Despite having David Ellison as a minority shareholder after their cross-shareholding with Skydance, Matthew still had full control over the film business.
Small companies had their advantages in flexibility.
After considering everything, Matthew made up his mind.
"James, I'll take on this project," Matthew rarely made investment decisions so casually, but this was a small-scale project. "13th Studio will invest in this."
"Uh, Matthew, I can't sign immediately..." James Wan breathed a sigh of relief but then smiled awkwardly. "I have a contract with Lionsgate, so I can't start filming another movie until after 'Saw VI' is released."
Matthew asked directly, "When will that be?"
"It will be released before Halloween this year," James Wan quickly replied.
"Good!" Matthew, having made his decision, didn't hesitate any longer. "I'll wait for you."
The seriousness in Matthew's tone made James Wan feel that his project was being taken seriously.
Since Matthew had shown such respect for him as a director, James Wan decided to strengthen their relationship further. "James, since this project is a collaboration with 13th Studio, I can guarantee two things."
He raised one finger. "First, as the director and producer, you'll have complete control over this project. No one, including myself, will interfere with your work."
Then he raised a second finger. "Second, I have long-standing relationships with Walt Disney and Warner Bros., and I can get your film distributed through one of the Big Six!"
Hearing these two assurances, James Wan felt that he had found the right person to partner with. Being both the director and producer meant less interference, and access to the Big Six's distribution channels would give his film a better chance of getting more screens.
They continued to talk for a long time, finding themselves getting along well, until it was time to leave for the day.
"James, how about I treat you and Justin to dinner?" Matthew offered.
"Sorry, Matthew," James Wan replied with a polite smile. "I have plans tonight. Leigh Whannell arranged a meeting with a friend, and I promised I'd go."
Matthew didn't push it and left on his own.
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