James Wan in talks to direct remake of a classic horror that’s had numerous reboot attempts

A new take on The Creature From the Black Lagoon is in the works from Saw and The Conjuring helmer James Wan. 

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the reboot will be “a grounded, modernized retelling that will lean into visceral horror, while still paying respect to the original.” While Wan will direct, a screenwriter is still yet to be hired and no casting information has been revealed yet.

Released back in 1954, the original movie follows a group of scientists studying and trying to capture a humanoid amphibious creature, the last of its kind, living in the depths of the waters of the Amazon. 

Several attempts have been made to reboot the movie since the ’50s, with John Landis, John Carpenter, and Ivan Reitman all developing remakes at various points, but none of these ever came to fruition. In the 2010s, the titular creature was also set to be part of the Dark Universe, Universal’s aborted monster movie franchise.

This will be Wan’s first time in the director’s chair since 2023’s Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom and his first time directing since his production company Atomic Monster merged with Blumhouse in early 2024.

Next up for Wan is Salem’s Lot, an adaptation of Stephen King’s novel of the same name that he’s producing. The movie is set to get a theatrical release on October 11 in the UK and will be released on Max in the US. In the meantime, check out our guide to the other biggest upcoming horror movies on the way this year.