--- name: "James Wan" canonical: "https://film.one/person/james-wan" fi1m_id: "james-wan" imdb_id: "nm1490123" tmdb_id: 2127 wikidata_id: "Q108047434" roles: ["Writer","Producer","Director"] born: "26 February 1977" reviewed_on_fi1m: 12 average_fi1m_score: 57 average_as: "writer" average_over: 3 updated: "2026-10-22T02:50:51.427648+00:00" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # James Wan ## Identity James Wan - **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/james-wan - **Type:** Person - **Fi1m ID:** james-wan - **IMDb ID:** nm1490123 - **TMDB ID:** 2127 - **Wikidata ID:** Q108047434 - **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Wan, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q108047434, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1490123/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/2127 Writer and producer. Born 26 February 1977 in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia. ## Details - **Work:** Writer, Producer, Director - **Born:** 26 February 1977, Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia - **Active:** 2011–present - **Titles on Fi1m:** 12: 1 acting, 4 directing, 3 writing, 4 producing - **Frequently works with:** [Patrick Wilson](https://film.one/person/patrick-wilson.md), [Jason Blum](https://film.one/person/jason-blum.md), [Peter Safran](https://film.one/person/peter-safran.md), [David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick](https://film.one/person/david-leslie-johnson-mcgoldrick.md), [Leigh Whannell](https://film.one/person/leigh-whannell.md), [Rob Cowan](https://film.one/person/rob-cowan.md), [Amber Heard](https://film.one/person/amber-heard.md), [Ian B. Goldberg](https://film.one/person/ian-b-goldberg.md) - **Average Fi1m score:** 57, as writer, over 3 titles - **Fi1m score by decade:** 2010s 69 (3), 2020s 55 (9) - **Score spread:** 0 at 80+, 1 at 60–79, 2 under 60 - **Genres:** Horror 3, Mystery 1, Science Fiction 1, Thriller 1 - **Screen time:** 5 hours of reviewed films - **Box office:** $395m across 2 films with figures - **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Wan, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q108047434, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1490123/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/2127 ## Coming up - *The Revenge of La Llorona* (2027-02-25), Producer - *Paranormal Activity 8* (2027-05-19), Producer - *Untitled Blair Witch Film* (2027-09-24), Producer - *Seasons* (2027-11-12), Producer ## Streaming the US now - **HBO Max:** [*Aquaman*](https://film.one/film/aquaman.md) (72), [*The Conjuring: Last Rites*](https://film.one/film/the-conjuring-last-rites.md) (55), [*Mortal Kombat II*](https://film.one/film/mortal-kombat-ii.md) (50), [*Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom*](https://film.one/film/aquaman-and-the-lost-kingdom.md) (45) - **AMC+:** [*Insidious*](https://film.one/film/insidious.md) (70) - **Netflix:** [*Furious 7*](https://film.one/film/furious-7.md) (66) - **Apple TV:** [*The Nun II*](https://film.one/film/the-nun-ii.md) (55) - **Disney+:** [*Insidious: The Red Door*](https://film.one/film/insidious-the-red-door.md) (54) For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country. ## Fi1m on James Wan > James Wan makes ordinary houses frightening by controlling where we look and how long we wait. We rate him as a scare director, but the films carrying his name too often lose that patience or settle for repetition. In *Insidious* (2011), a ghostly figure appears too briefly for us to get used to it. We were frightened by those glimpses because they left us watching for something we had barely seen. Wan's careful camera movement makes an ordinary house worth searching, while his editing with Kirk M. Morri brings the shocks before anticipation turns to impatience. Leigh Whannell's script is less convincing when it explains the supernatural rules, and Joseph Bishara's forceful musical cues can push too hard. His franchise-making began with *Saw* (2004), followed by *Dead Silence* and *Death Sentence* (both 2007). *Insidious* brought him back to supernatural horror after those two critical disappointments, with family life and familiar rooms made unsafe. *The Conjuring* (2013) was small and patient, taking the house and the people inside it seriously. He had found material that rewarded waiting before a reveal. The move into large-scale action brought *Furious 7* (2015), then *Aquaman* (2018), where his pleasure in colour included a willingness to let a strange image sit on screen. *Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom* (2023) is harder to defend. Set pieces start before we know where anyone is standing and finish before we understand what has been won. Jason Momoa and Patrick Wilson make the bickering enjoyable, but the plot keeps interrupting them. We would happily spend longer with those two and less time trying to locate them in the action. His later story credits need separating from his directing. Michael Chaves directs *The Conjuring: Last Rites* (2025), and Kate Dolan directs *Soulm8te* (2026); Wan shares story credit on both. The first has two worthwhile frights but spends too long on the Warrens' feelings, while the second makes grief a companion-android purchase and then follows a drearily predictable course. Neither failure can fairly be laid entirely at his door, though both make it harder to get excited about another film carrying his name. For a first encounter, choose *Insidious* or *The Conjuring* before following the franchises. ## Biography James Wan is a Malaysian-born Australian film director, screenwriter and producer. He was born on 26 February 1977 in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia, and later moved to Australia. He graduated from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Arts in media. Wan co-created the Saw and Insidious franchises and created the Conjuring Universe. He made his feature directorial debut with Saw (2004) and went on to direct Insidious (2010), The Conjuring (2013), Furious 7 (2015), Aquaman (2018) and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023). He founded the production company Atomic Monster. He has also produced entries in the Conjuring and Insidious series, including The Nun II (2023) and Insidious: The Red Door (2023), and contributed story credits to several of these films. *Sources: en.wikipedia.org, dc.com.* ## On Fi1m (12) ### Performed in (1) - *The Conjuring: Last Rites* (2025), Fi1m 55, as Wedding Guest — [page](https://film.one/film/the-conjuring-last-rites.md) ### Directed (4) - *Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom* (2023), Fi1m 45, Director, Producer, Story — [page](https://film.one/film/aquaman-and-the-lost-kingdom.md) - *Aquaman* (2018), Fi1m 72, Director, Story — [page](https://film.one/film/aquaman.md) - *Furious 7* (2015), Fi1m 66, Director — [page](https://film.one/film/furious-7.md) - *Insidious* (2011), Fi1m 70, Director, Editor — [page](https://film.one/film/insidious.md) ### Wrote (3) — the average rests on these - *Soulm8te* (2026), Fi1m 53, Producer, Story — [page](https://film.one/film/soulm8te.md) - *Saw X* (2023), Fi1m 64, Executive Producer, Characters — [page](https://film.one/film/saw-x.md) - *The Nun II* (2023), Fi1m 55, Producer, Characters — [page](https://film.one/film/the-nun-ii.md) ### Produced (4) - *Backrooms* (2026), Fi1m 64, Producer — [page](https://film.one/film/backrooms.md) - *Insidious: Out of the Further* (2026), Fi1m 55, Producer — [page](https://film.one/film/insidious-out-of-the-further.md) - *Mortal Kombat II* (2026), Fi1m 50, Producer — [page](https://film.one/film/mortal-kombat-ii.md) - *Insidious: The Red Door* (2023), Fi1m 54, Producer — [page](https://film.one/film/insidious-the-red-door.md) ## Complete filmography (105) Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page. - *Seasons* (2027), Producer - *Untitled Blair Witch Film* (2027), Producer - *Paranormal Activity 8* (2027), Producer - *The Revenge of La Llorona* (2027), Producer - *Other Mommy* (2026), Producer — coming soon, [page](https://film.one/film/other-mommy.md) - *Insidious: Out of the Further* (2026), Producer — Fi1m 55, [page](https://film.one/film/insidious-out-of-the-further.md) - *Soulm8te* (2026), Story, Producer — Fi1m 53, [page](https://film.one/film/soulm8te.md) - *Backrooms* (2026), Producer — Fi1m 64, [page](https://film.one/film/backrooms.md) - *Mortal Kombat II* (2026), Producer — Fi1m 50, [page](https://film.one/film/mortal-kombat-ii.md) - *Lee Cronin's The Mummy* (2026), Producer - *56 Days* (2026), series, Executive Producer - *The Copenhagen Test* (2025), series, Executive Producer - *True Haunting* (2025), series, Executive Producer - *The Conjuring: Last Rites* (2025), as Wedding Guest · Producer, Story — Fi1m 55, [page](https://film.one/film/the-conjuring-last-rites.md) - *M3GAN 2.0* (2025), Producer, Characters - *The Monkey* (2025), Producer - *Teacup* (2024), series, Executive Producer - *Salem's Lot* (2024), Producer - *Night Swim* (2024), Producer - *Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom* (2023), Producer, Story, Director — Fi1m 45, [page](https://film.one/film/aquaman-and-the-lost-kingdom.md) - *Saw X* (2023), Executive Producer, Characters — Fi1m 64, [page](https://film.one/film/saw-x.md) - *The Nun II* (2023), Producer, Characters — Fi1m 55, [page](https://film.one/film/the-nun-ii.md) - *Insidious: The Red Door* (2023), Producer — Fi1m 54, [page](https://film.one/film/insidious-the-red-door.md) - *M3GAN* (2022), Story, Producer - *Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles* (2022), series, Executive Producer - *Archive 81* (2022), series, Executive Producer - *I Know What You Did Last Summer* (2021), series, Executive Producer - *Aquaman: King of Atlantis* (2021), series, Executive Producer - *There's Someone Inside Your House* (2021), Producer - *Malignant* (2021), Producer, Director, Story - *The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It* (2021), Producer, Story - *Spiral: From the Book of Saw* (2021), Characters, Executive Producer - *Mortal Kombat* (2021), Producer - *Annabelle Comes Home* (2019), Story, Producer - *Swamp Thing* (2019), series, Executive Producer - *The Curse of La Llorona* (2019), Producer - *Aquaman* (2018), Director, Story — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/film/aquaman.md) - *The Nun* (2018), Producer, Story, Second Unit Director - *Insidious: The Last Key* (2018), Producer - *Jigsaw* (2017), Executive Producer, Characters - *Annabelle: Creation* (2017), Producer - *MacGyver* (2016), series, Director, Executive Producer - *Lights Out* (2016), Producer - *The Conjuring 2* (2016), Story, Screenplay, Director, Producer - *Game Changer: The Legacy of Saw* (2015), Thanks - *Lavalantula* (2015), as Tour Bus Passenger - *Insidious: Chapter 3* (2015), as Theater Director · Producer - *Furious 7* (2015), Director — Fi1m 66, [page](https://film.one/film/furious-7.md) - *Demonic* (2015), Producer - *Annabelle* (2014), Producer - *Insidious: Chapter 2* (2013), Director, Story - *The Conjuring* (2013), Director - *Insidious* (2011), Director, Editor — Fi1m 70, [page](https://film.one/film/insidious.md) - *Saw 3D* (2010), Executive Producer, Characters - *Saw VI* (2009), Characters, Executive Producer - *Doggie Heaven* (2008), Director, Editor, Story - *Saw V* (2008), Characters, Executive Producer - *Saw IV* (2007), Executive Producer, Characters - *Death Sentence* (2007), Director - *Dead Silence* (2007), Director, Story - *Saw III* (2006), Story, Executive Producer, Characters - *The Scott Tibbs Documentary* (2006), Characters - *Saw II* (2005), Executive Producer, Characters - *Saw: Rebirth* (2005), Characters - *Saw* (2004), Director, Story - *Saw* (2003), Director, Editor - *Daylight Robbery* (1999), series, as Pilot - *Stygian* (1998), Director, Writer - *Hunting Season*, Producer - *Sweet Tooth*, Producer - *Milk*, Producer - *Dead by Daylight*, Producer - *The Last Train to New York*, Producer - *Robocop*, series, Executive Producer - *The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil*, Director, Producer - *The Burden*, Producer - *GMO*, Producer - *Mass Extinction*, Producer - *Border Patrol*, Producer - *Shelter*, Producer - *The Boy Who Drew Monsters*, Producer - *The Entity*, Producer - *Smart House*, Producer, Idea - *You Take Care Now*, Producer - *Area 51*, series, Executive Producer - *Concrete Jungle*, series, Executive Producer, Creator - *The Creature from the Black Lagoon*, Director, Producer, Story - *Untitled Leah McKendrick Monster Film*, Producer - *The Magic Order*, series, Executive Producer - *The Root of All Evil*, Producer - *Phasmophobia*, Producer - *Untitled Saw Film*, Producer, Characters - *The Invocation*, Producer - *The Call of Cthulhu*, Director, Producer - *Mortal Kombat III*, Producer - *Doomtown*, Producer - *Lights Out 2*, Producer - *Foliage*, Producer - *Untitled Curry Barker Film*, Producer - *Five Nights at Freddy's 3*, Producer - *Thread: An Insidious Tale*, Producer - *Rabbit Rabbit Rabbit*, Producer - *Lust*, Producer - *Cosmetic*, Producer, Idea - *Untitled James Wan Universal Monster Project*, Producer ## Gallery - ![James Wan](https://film.one/media/person/8029/gallery-4d86705299e7.jpg) James Wan — Kirby Taylor, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/94/James_Wan_at_Sundance_Film_Festival_2026.jpg/1280px-James_Wan_at_Sundance_Film_Festival_2026.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Aisha Tyler, Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Nicole Kidman, Patrick Wilson, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and James Wan speaking at the 2018 San Diego Comic Con International](https://film.one/media/person/8029/gallery-22f01136bbbb.jpg) Aisha Tyler, Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Nicole Kidman, Patrick Wilson, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and James Wan speaking at the 2018 San Diego Comic Con International — Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/31/Aisha_Tyler%2C_Jason_Momoa%2C_Amber_Heard%2C_Nicole_Kidman%2C_Patrick_Wilson%2C_Yahya_Abdul-Mateen_II_%26_James_Wan.jpg/1280px-Aisha_Tyler%2C_Jason_Momoa%2C_Amber_Heard%2C_Nicole_Kidman%2C_Patrick_Wilson%2C_Yahya_Abdul-Mateen_II_%26_James_Wan.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Aisha Tyler, Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Nicole Kidman, Patrick Wilson, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and James Wan speaking at the 2018 San Diego Comic Con International](https://film.one/media/person/8029/gallery-9326fea5aed3.jpg) Aisha Tyler, Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Nicole Kidman, Patrick Wilson, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and James Wan speaking at the 2018 San Diego Comic Con International — Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ee/Aisha_Tyler%2C_Jason_Momoa%2C_Amber_Heard%2C_Nicole_Kidman%2C_Patrick_Wilson%2C_Yahya_Abdul-Mateen_II_%26_James_Wan_%2842867440755%29.jpg/1280px-Aisha_Tyler%2C_Jason_Momoa%2C_Amber_Heard%2C_Nicole_Kidman%2C_Patrick_Wilson%2C_Yahya_Abdul-Mateen_II_%26_James_Wan_%2842867440755%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Aisha Tyler, Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Nicole Kidman, Patrick Wilson, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and James Wan speaking at the 2018 San Diego Comic Con International](https://film.one/media/person/8029/gallery-f52396dfce3d.jpg) Aisha Tyler, Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Nicole Kidman, Patrick Wilson, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and James Wan speaking at the 2018 San Diego Comic Con International — Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3b/Aisha_Tyler%2C_Jason_Momoa%2C_Amber_Heard%2C_Nicole_Kidman%2C_Patrick_Wilson%2C_Yahya_Abdul-Mateen_II_%26_James_Wan_%2843723293462%29.jpg/1280px-Aisha_Tyler%2C_Jason_Momoa%2C_Amber_Heard%2C_Nicole_Kidman%2C_Patrick_Wilson%2C_Yahya_Abdul-Mateen_II_%26_James_Wan_%2843723293462%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![James Wan](https://film.one/media/person/8029/gallery-63442bb69462.jpg) James Wan — Image via TMDB - ![James Wan](https://film.one/media/person/8029/gallery-9fd90b830243.jpg) James Wan — Image via TMDB - ![James Wan](https://film.one/media/person/8029/gallery-59d0cc43d997.jpg) James Wan — Image via TMDB - ![David Ayer, Patty Jenkins, Zack Snyder, Rick Famuyiwa, James Wan and Ben Affleck speaking at the 2016 San Diego Comic-Con International in San Diego, California](https://film.one/media/person/8029/gallery-776609660594.jpg) David Ayer, Patty Jenkins, Zack Snyder, Rick Famuyiwa, James Wan and Ben Affleck speaking at the 2016 San Diego Comic-Con International in San Diego, California — Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/08/DC_Extended_Universe_directors_by_Gage_Skidmore.jpg/1280px-DC_Extended_Universe_directors_by_Gage_Skidmore.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![James Wan and Ben Affleck speaking at the 2016 San Diego Comic Con International, for "Warner Bros. Pictures", at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, ](https://film.one/media/person/8029/gallery-56c557b518c9.jpg) James Wan and Ben Affleck speaking at the 2016 San Diego Comic Con International, for "Warner Bros. Pictures", at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, — Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7e/James_Wan_%26_Ben_Affleck_%2828592540085%29.jpg/1280px-James_Wan_%26_Ben_Affleck_%2828592540085%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) ## Awards ### Other awards — 1 won - Asia's Most Influential Malaysia 2021: Asia's Most Influential Malaysia (won) *From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.* --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/james-wan