When it comes to horror – well, modern day horror, at least – few do it better than James Wan. Responsible for birthing both the Saw and Conjuring franchises, among many other great movies, the man knows how to scare audiences like few can. And though he’s finding himself involved in more big budget blockbusters these days, Wan continues to return to the genre that made his name every now and then.
On that note, we’re happy to tell you that the director has teamed up with Netflix for There’s Someone Inside Your House, which is based on YA author Stephanie Perkins’ bestselling novel about “a young girl whose high school friends inexplicably begin to die in a series of gruesome murders.” From what we understand, Wan’s only signed on to produce at the moment, but we imagine there’s a chance that he’ll direct, too. Also on board is 21 Laps, the production company responsible for Stranger Things.
Pitched as a 90’s slasher movie meets The Breakfast Club, the synopsis for Perkins’ novel describes it as so:
“More than a year after her parents sent her away from Hawaii to live with her grandmother in landlocked Nebraska, Makani Young is still adjusting to her new life. She’s made a small group of close friends and even flirted with romance, but her past in Hawaii is still hard to forget.
And then … one by one the students of her new high school begin to die in a series of gruesome murders. Makani doesn’t know who’s next on the list. Between this, and a secret scorching relationship with the school weirdo, this school year may turn out to be one to die for … literally.“
Wan and 21 Laps make for a pretty exciting duo, and given the strong and well-liked source material they’re working with, we have every reason to believe that There’s Someone Inside Your House will be a hit with the Netflix crowd. Balancing the slasher elements with the coming of age tale will be key in getting it right, of course, but with the talent already on board, we’re confident that it’ll all work out.
We’re curious to see how the pic will be marketed, too. Will Netflix aim it more towards horror fans, or go after the young adult audience and play down the slasher elements in its marketing? That remains to be seen, and like we just said, balancing those two things is going to be tricky, but you can bet that we’ll be keeping a close eye on the project as it continues to come together and will be sure to bring you any further updates as and when they arise.