James Wan’s Call of Cthulhu - Howie goes to Hollywood

[Cherry Eyed Hamster]

Apparently Call of Cthulhu has been blockbuster horror director James Wan’s dream project for years, which he first discussed openly in 2023. As of 2024, there has been a notable update on its production. It’s still in the early stages of creation, but with speculation about how the Cthulhu Mythos could be the next Marvel cash cow, and its popularity growing more now than ever, perhaps it will do okay. There’s also apparently a video game adaptation being developed to complement the film.

Not sure how I feel about Wan adapting Lovecraft, and I am a bit concerned that a crappy Cthulhu film will draw more dumbshit normies to the Mythos, but hey, maybe it’s got a chance. What do you guys think?

 

[Ultrapenguin]

To be totally fair these movie companies are always thinking the next thing will be their new Marvel universe, because they're soulless lizard people wearing human skin suits and don't understand why anyone likes superhero movies to begin with, and they surely have no idea what cosmic horror is or why anyone likes it.
They probably just know the Cthulhu mythos is a series of (royalty free) things that has a solid niche fanbase, which they can hopefully repurpose for mass consumption.

Another advantage is that HP Lovecraft's history as a hardcore proto-chud might help scare the worst media tourists off and keep the whole thing from becoming a circus. They'll hear about the cat and about HP lovecraft's magnum opus "On the creation of niggers" (featured below) and get skittish because they don't want to be associated lest anyone think they're racist.



Edit: But as to the movie itself I'm skeptical, but there was that Nic Cage The Color Out Of Space adaptation that seemed reasonably well executed, so it can be done. So long as it's done by someone who cares and gets it and the lizard people don't meddle.

 

[millais]

"At the Mountains of Madness" would be better for adaptation.

 

[Absolutego]

with speculation about how the Cthulhu Mythos could be the next Marvel cash cow

As much as I think Wan has it in him to make a great Lovecraft adaptation (same as I believed back when Guillermo Del Toro was trying to adapt At the Mountains of Madness), this sentence fills me with existential dread and terror. And not the kind I'd want to be getting from a Cthulhu adaptation.

 

[Cherry Eyed Hamster]

"At the Mountains of Madness" would be better for adaptation.

I also wouldn’t mind a more faithful adaptation of ‘The Shadow Over Innsmouth’.

 

[ShamefurDispray]

After "Malignant" I don't trust James Wan with Lovecraft. Wan has always been a loud bombastic jump scare horror director, Lovecraft needs a director who isn't afraid to make a movie normies will hate.

 

[Cherry Eyed Hamster]

After "Malignant" I don't trust James Wan with Lovecraft. Wan has always been a loud bombastic jump scare horror director, Lovecraft needs a director who isn't afraid to make a movie normies will hate.

Yeah, I have some reservations too with Wan for the reasons you mentioned, however part of me thinks he’ll take more risks with Call of Cthulhu and have a more creepy, dreading horror than his standard in-your-face screamers.

A positive I can think of is that Wan is a well-respected horror director in Hollywood, so perhaps the studio would be more willing to let him do what he wants without interference. He most likely got funding for it, too.

 

[Munchin' on Some Grindage]

I am a bit concerned that a crappy Cthulhu film will draw more dumbshit normies to the Mythos

Too late, the Lovecraft mythos is already fully infected. Lovecraft Country for instance exists.

The community is now only made up of people who despise Lovecraft and want to put blacks and fags into the mythos. Why? Cause it would be an epic win on a guy who's been dead almost 100 years.

 

[ShamefurDispray]

Yeah, I have some reservations too with Wan for the reasons you mentioned, however part of me thinks he’ll take more risks with Call of Cthulhu and have a more creepy, dreading horror than his standard in-your-face screamers.

A positive I can think of is that Wan is a well-respected horror director in Hollywood, so perhaps the studio would be more willing to let him do what he wants without interference. He most likely got funding for it, too.

I hope he does and I'll be happy to be surprised if he pulls it off. I don't dislike him as a director he has his audience and he caters to them so if he can make something to appeal to the Lovecraft fans and the fans of weird horror I am all for it.

And you are absolutely correct he does have sway, which judging by the landscape of big name horror directors, is the only way we are ever going to get a Lovecraft adaption with a budget it deserves or even requires at this point.

 

[Cherry Eyed Hamster]

"At the Mountains of Madness" would be better for adaptation.

Though we may (very sadly) never get del Toro’s AtMOM adaptation, the script was published online years ago and is free to read.

Too late, the Lovecraft mythos is already fully infected. Lovecraft Country for instance exists.

Oh God, you’re right. Now I’m wondering how the casting for this film is going to go down.

 

[ShamefurDispray]

Too late, the Lovecraft mythos is already fully infected. Lovecraft Country for instance exists.

The community is now only made up of people who despise Lovecraft and want to put blacks and fags into the mythos. Why? Cause it would be an epic win on a guy who's been dead almost 100 years.

God why would you remind me that piece of shit existed... now that's cosmic horror on a scale I can't comprehend.

 

[Georgio Cocklord]

Lovecraft is unadaptable, the best Lovecraft movie in all technicality is Carpenters the Thing which is so surprisingly detached from anything Lovecraft. Some things just arent adaptable, like Lovecraft like Berserk like Souls like lot of other stuff. But the machine has to keep rolling.

 

[Drifting Panzer]

I also wouldn’t mind a more faithful adaptation of ‘The Shadow Over Innsmouth’.

The escape is one of the the best action segments ever written.

As for Hollywood, a faithful Lovecraft movie set in the correct time period is beyond them, I fear.

 

[RollerGator]

After "Malignant" I don't trust James Wan with Lovecraft. Wan has always been a loud bombastic jump scare horror director, Lovecraft needs a director who isn't afraid to make a movie normies will hate.

Malignant ruled.

 

[Cherry Eyed Hamster]

Lovecraft is unadaptable, the best Lovecraft movie in all technicality is Carpenters the Thing which is so surprisingly detached from anything Lovecraft

The Thing was technically adapted from John Campbell’s 1938 tale The Thing from Another World*, which probably took influence from Lovecraft’s ATMOM.

*which, by the way, was originally a full-length novel called ‘Frozen Hell’, which was discovered and subsequently published in 2019. I cannot recommend it enough.

 

[Munchin' on Some Grindage]

Lovecraft is unadaptable

Agreed. But if you had to pick one, I think Call of Cthulhu is probably the best one to choose. It could probably be done relatively well.

A whole cinematic universe though? I don't think so. Some of it would seem a tad to ridiculous for the screen like Brown Jenkin. Nyarlathotep's importance would skyrocket I feel.

 

[Womble of Wimbledon]

"The Dunwich Horror" could be adapted easier I think. However, I have zero confidence in any Lovecraft adaptation. They will find a way to shoehorn in some bullshit 'racism bad' angle to apologise for H.P. calling his cat Niggerman.

Lovecraft is unadaptable, the best Lovecraft movie in all technicality is Carpenters the Thing which is so surprisingly detached from anything Lovecraft. Some things just arent adaptable, like Lovecraft like Berserk like Souls like lot of other stuff. But the machine has to keep rolling.

In the Mouth of Madness is another good pseudo-Lovecraft adaptation from John Carpenter. It is even more directly influenced by Lovecraft than The Thing.

 

[Chin of Campbell]

Like Womble said, I think the best Lovecraft movies have been the ones inspired by him rather than directly adapting his work. In the Mouth of Madness, The Lighthouse, The Void, are examples. I think that, genuinely, Lovecraft's work could end up being some of the most haunting, memorable cinema ever if someone with the talent and respect for the work handled it. Again, like Womble said, someone who wasn't interested in getting an "own" in on HP for not relaxing. Even the recent extremely shitty Color Out of Space adaptation with Nic Cage had some random nig be the big hero in the end (who also gets the white girl if I'm not mistaken, lol).

I'll keep an eye out for this, but I'm not optimistic. Not in 2024.

 

[Calandrino]

Not sure how I feel about Wan adapting Lovecraft,

It's bad and you should feel bad

 

[Vect]

I should point out, most projects attributed to James Wan are not directed by him.

A positive I can think of is that Wan is a well-respected horror director in Hollywood, so perhaps the studio would be more willing to let him do what he wants without interference. He most likely got funding for it, too.

It would have to be modest budget, because it is a niche universe with niche appeal, but the advantage would be an audience and/or a backer familiar with Lovecraft would know what to expect.