The Invisible Man director Leigh Whannell has signed an overall deal with Blumhouse. Speculation has already started with many wondering if more Universal Monster movies are on the way. Whannell currently has the number one spot at the box office with The Invisible Man, which has been praised by viewers and critics. Additionally, the movie continues Blumhouse’s strategy of making a project with a small budget and turning it into a box office success.
Leigh Whannell has been credited for resuscitating Universal’s Monsters with this weekend’s The Invisible Man. Blumhouse is now solidifying their relationship with a deal for further movies. As for what those future projects will be, that is a mystery at this point in time. However, Whannell did leave the door open for a possible sequel to The Invisible Man. Jason Blum released a statement about the deal, which you can read below.
“Leigh creates movies which not only build franchises but fundamentally change the landscape of their genre. After he and James Wan made Saw, it launched dozens of copycats. Their work with Blumhouse on Insidious, founded not just a franchise but dozens of classical proscenium PG-13 supernatural horror films. I have no doubt that will be true for The Invisible Man and for anything else he wants to create. I just want to be there with him when he does!”
While Leigh Whannell and Blumhouse have not detailed what will be coming next, the director did hint at television expansion. Blumhouse has become a horror playground for directors and writers, which is going to see some forward movement in the next several months. Whannell also released a statement about his new deal. He had this to say.
“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 begin. 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.”
Leigh Whannell has quite the horror resume under his belt, so locking him down is a safe bet for Blumhouse. Insidious received similar praise to The Invisible Man, with quality writing being the backbone of both movies. Whannell has been able to take a movie that not a whole lot of people were waiting for and turn it into a critical and financial hit more than once. With his latest success, all eyes are going to be on him for what comes next. Hopefully more Universal Monster movies will be on that list.
The Invisible Man was estimated to take in around $20 million this weekend. Instead, it nearly hit $30 million, which a lot of people thought it would. Powered by Leigh Whannell’s direction and Elisabeth Moss’ intense performance, the horror thriller is getting a lot of attention from moviegoers. It’s going to be very interesting to see where Blumhouse and Whannell go next. The Hollywood Reporter was the first to announce the new deal.
