With movies like Saw, Insidious and The Conjuring under his belt, director James Wan is currently one of the most sought after talents working in the Hollywood system. The stellar performance of his The Conjuring 2 this past weekend only expands his capital. Wan now appears to be getting a big-screen project off the ground based on his 2011 Boom! Studios comic Malignant Man. Wan will produce the title with San Andreas filmmaker Brad Peyton directing. Fox will release the film. The Hollywood Reporter broke the story.
Malignant Man tells the story of Alex Gates, a man suffering from a terminal disease who discovers that his malignant tumor is actually…a mysterious alien parasite. With this discovery, Gates develops extraordinary powers as well as a deeper sense of self. While battling a secret army, he must also contend with his many secrets. Zak Olkewicz wrote the adaptation. No casting announcement have been unearthed as of yet. Malignant Man marks the third Boom! Studios production currently in development as The Empty Man lies in pre-production and Oscar winner Adam McKay (The Big Short) is attached to helm an adaptation of Irredeemable.
Wan, who directed and co-wrote The Conjuring 2, is readying his superhero debut on another project – Aquaman while Malignant Man may mark another hit for Peyton, whose San Andreas grossed over $400 million worldwide last summer. Peyton is first due to re-team with Dwayne Johnson for the video game adaptation Rampage.
We shall stay tuned to latest developments on Malignant Man.