James Wan Reportedly Adapting H.P. Lovecraft’s Call of Cthulhu Into Movie and Video Game

The cosmic and compelling nature of H.P. Lovecraft stories make them notoriously challenging to adapt into live-action, but a new report from Deadline teases that James Wan is looking to accept that challenge by bringing to life the iconic short story “The Call of Cthulhu.” Rather than outright confirming that a movie was on the way, this update comes with the announcement that the Sino-American fund Stars-Hana will be developing video games based on horror movies, of which Wan’s Cthulhu was listed. The outlet also notes that Wan has been working on the project quietly for five years.

The original “Call of Cthulhu” short story features three narratives taking place in the early 1900s about a cult that worships an ancient, squid-like deity known as Cthulhu. In the almost century since the story was first published in 1928, Cthulhu has become a prominent figure in fantasy, horror, and sci-fi stories in a variety of mediums, yet has only inspired big-budget projects without ever earning an official adaptation. 

Of the countless projects that have been inspired by Lovecraft, Re-Animator, Color Out of Space, and Suitable Flesh mark the more well-known direct adaptations of his works. Another one of Lovecraft’s most beloved stories, At the Mountains of Madness, is a project that Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro has been attempting to adapt for years, though the various complications in the process and the derivative projects that have been released have cast doubt on that project ever happening. 

Wan made a name for himself early in his career with low-budget projects like Saw, Insidious, and The Conjuring, all of which have become massive franchises that dominate the horror world. The filmmaker isn’t limited to unsettling stories, as he also delivered films like Furious 7 and Aquaman. The first entry in that DC franchise embraced both fantastical and frightening concepts, which were set to inspire a horror-themed spin-off film The Trench. While that project has since been scrapped, Wan’s mastery of horror and big-budget fantasy could prove that he is the perfect filmmaker to finally do justice to the iconic story and the imposing Cthulhu.

Stay tuned for updates on Wan’s The Call of Cthulhu.

Are you excited for a James Wan The Call of Cthulhu? Let us know in the comments or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter or on Instagram to talk all things Star Wars and horror!