James Wan: How 'Furious 7' Influenced My Approach to Horror

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As one half of horror's most feared directing duo alongside Leigh Whannell ('Saw'), James Wan has etched his name into the annals of fright cinema with films like 'The Conjuring', 'Insidious', and now, 'Furious 7'. But what lessons did this master of mayhem learn from straying so far outside his comfort zone to helm a blockbuster action flick? We sat down with Wan to find out.

'I think when you're used to working on something as grounded and intense as horror movies,' begins the Australian director candidly, 'throwing yourself headfirst into an $300 million tentpole like 'Furious 7' can be quite a shock. But it was also incredibly liberating.'

Having spent years building his reputation on delivering spine-tingling chills with films like 'The Conjuring', Wan admits that taking the wheel of a franchise as beloved by fans worldwide brought its own unique set of pressures.

'You've got this huge following, people who have invested so much emotional capital into these characters,' he explains. 'You don't want to disappoint them.'

Yet despite the weight on his shoulders, 'F Furious 7' proved to be an eye-opening experience for Wan - one that ultimately helped him approach future horror projects with a fresh perspective.

'I think working on something as fast-paced and action-driven as 'Furious 7' taught me a lot about pacing,' he reflects. 'In horror movies, sometimes you don't need to show everything all at once. Sometimes less is more.'

This philosophy would serve Wan well in his next major undertaking - the follow-up to hit ghost-horror film 'The Conjuring', which sees him re-team with stars Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson as paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren.

'We knew going into it that we had a lot to live up to after the success of the first movie,' he admits. 'But I think what worked in our favor was not feeling too much pressure to top ourselves creatively.'

Instead, Wan opted for an more organic approach - allowing his cast (which includes new additions Stephanie Sigman and Talitha Bateman) room to breathe and explore their characters organically.

'It's always about finding those honest moments between takes,' he explains. 'When you're working with actors who are so committed like Vera and Patrick, it just falls into place.'

And fall into place it did - 'The Conjuring 2' went on to gross over $270 million worldwide upon release earlier this year.

As Wan prepares to dive back headfirst into the world of horror once again (with a new installment in the 'Saw' franchise currently in production), he reflects on what he learned from his time away working on blockbusters like 'Furious 7'.

'I think it's given me a newfound respect for these big, tentpole movies,' he concludes. 'But at heart, I'm still just a horror director - and that will never change.'

'Image description: James Wan posing with cast members of 'The Conjuring' on set.

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