An Australian film director, producer and screen writer, James Wan was born on 27 February 1977, in Kuching, Malaysia, of Malaysian and Chinese descent. He is perhaps best known for directing the popular 2004 horror film “Saw”, and creating Billy the Puppet.
A successful filmmaker, how rich is James Wan? It has been reported that the amount of Wan’s net worth is over $50 million, his wealth having been accumulated during his directing and producing careers.
James Wan Net Worth $50 Million
Wan was raised in Perth, Western Australia. He studied at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology from where he graduated with his Bachelor of Arts degree. Before becoming successful in the mainstream film industry, Wan made his first feature film “Stygian”, which won “Best Guerrilla Film” at the 2000 Melbourne Underground Film Festival. While studying, he met Leigh Whannell and together they came up with an idea for a horror movie, for which they made a short version to showcase their script for a potential feature film. With a few stand-in actors and Whannell himself starring, they shot the film with virtually no budget. Producers at the US film company Evolution were impressed when seeing the film and they asked Wan and Whannell to make it into a full-length feature in order to produce it. After the full-length “Saw” had been released in 2004, it became a surprise record-breaking theatrical horror franchise earning over $103 million, and an incredible net worth for Wan. The movie was followed by six sequels, with Wan being the executive producer and partially the screen writer. The collection of “Saw” movies has been a great financial success grossing over $873 million, and improving James’ net worth considerably.
Wan went on to direct and produce several successful movies with the help of his collaborator and close friend Whannell. In 2007, he directed the horror “Dead Silence”, and an action drama “Death Sentence”. His next movie, the 2010 indie horror “Insidious” was an instant success iat the box office reception worldwide. In 2013, Wan directed “The Conjuring” with very positive critiques, and a sequel “Insidious: Chapter 2” the same year. The following year he produced another horror movie “Demonic”, while also serving as the producer on “Annabelle”, a spin-off from “The Conjuring”, grossing over $166 million. Wan then directed the seventh sequel of the “Fast and Furious” action franchise “Furious 7”, which was released in 2015. It became the most successful film in terms of box office revenues and critics reviews in the “Fast and Furious” franchise ,and has also added a lot to Wan’s net worth. Meanwhile, he agreed to direct “The Conjuring 2” sequel which will be released in June 2016. In addition to the movies, he also directed a trailer for the survival horror video game “Dead Space”.
Wan has had a number of unreleased projects as well as future projects to direct, including an adaption of the 1980’s television series “Macgyver”, and the remake of Disney’s “The Rocketeer”. It has also been announced that he will serve as a director for the film adaptation of the DC comic book “Aquaman”, and the producer for “Mortal Combat” reboot.
Wan resides in Los Angeles. As for his personal life, he reveals nothing to the public.
Not many people realize this, but I'm a really squeamish guy. When I watch other horror films that are really over-the-top with their blood and guts, I cannot watch it. So if my threshold to something on-screen is at that level, you can imagine how my threshold is to all the pain and suffering that is happening in the real world.
2
We think craft is important, and the irony has always been that horror may be disregarded by critics, but often they are the best-made movies you're going to find in terms of craft. You can't scare people if they see the seams.
3
I can't point anything specific out, but I'm a big David Lynch fan, he's a big influence on Saw, and another director I truly admire as well, is an Italian, Dario Argento? These two guys have a big impact on us, Deep Red, Lost Highway.
4
When we handed in our first cut, the Sundance version, we were essentially told the film was too intense. Really? I'm going to be penalized for doing what I'm supposed to do as a director? I think they have a problem with the 'tone' as well. How do you cut 'tone'? How do you censor 'tone'?
5
[on 'Saw'] That was part of my aesthetic that I was going for. I wanted to make the film really claustrophobic, and one way I was going to do that was, every time we go to a new location, I'm not going to set it up using an establishing shot. You don't see a house, and then cut to the inside of the house. You cut to inside, to inside, to inside.
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Fact
1
His overall deal at New Line includes an option to develop and produce modest budget science fiction, horror and comedy films via his Atomic Monster production company.
2
His father passed away when he was 14 years of age.
$50 Million
