After it was announced Monday, Oct. 20, that the opening date for "The Conjuring 2" was moved from to 2016, New Line Cinema revealed Tuesday that James Wan is returning to direct the horror sequel, with shooting to start next summer.
"We had a great experience with James on 'The Conjuring,' and we give him a lot of credit for that movie working so well," New Line president/COO Toby Emmerich told Deadline. "He worked on the screenplay and came to the table with very inventive things that were not in the script and cast it fantastically well."
"Add to that his work in producing 'Annabelle,' and he is one of the masters of the genre and we're happy to have him," Emmerich added. "You go through the list of possible directors of 'The Conjuring sequel,' and his is the name you stop at, which is why we tried so hard to make this work."
"The Conjuring" sequel's release date push gave Wan time to promote "Fast & Furious 7," which he just finished filming. The Vin Diesel-starrer is now slated for April 3, 2015 release, after moving it from summer 2014 following the tragic death of the franchise's star Paul Walker.
"It was during the editing of 'Fast & Furious 7' that my brain started sparking ideas for 'The Conjuring' sequel," Wan said. "Taking a break from horror has allowed me to be creatively rejuvenated. I'm excited to tell the story of the next case-file of Ed & Lorraine Warren and expand on this world we've created."
As part of his new deal with New Line, Emmerich said that Wan "will make an important movie for New Line and Warner Bros. or DC."
"Shazam" is the only known DC movie that is set up at New Line, and the rest of the recently announced DC flicks are being housed at Warner Bros. So it is highly possible that Wan will be the one to direct "Shazam," MovieWeb reported.
But aside from "Shazam," Wan could also helm upcoming projects like "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" films, or one of the Warner Bros. and DC Comics standalone "Justice League" spinoffs.
Meanwhile, "The Conjuring's" spinoff "Annabelle," was released on Oct. 3, and just like its parent film, it was also a big hit at the box-office. With a production budget of only $6.5 million, the demon doll tale has already grossed $166 million worldwide as of Oct. 19. Given its box-office success, it is likely that an "Annabelle" sequel is under consideration, and that the original opening date for "The Conjuring 2" could be an ideal spot for the follow-up film, The Wrap reported.