James Wan: “My Aquamans were never really superhero films” (interview)
As Aquaman 2 comes out this Wednesday, we’re doing the big “saw” with James Wan, its chief architect, for whom “Hollywood is a funny concept.”
First: Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom comes out at a complicated time for superhero cinema and DC films in particular…
James Wan: You mean it’s less of a party than before? (Laughs.) I decided to take it on the positive side: I had the chance to participate in this universe, to be part of something that goes beyond me. But hey, actually, it doesn’t really matter, because I consider that my Aquaman have never really been superhero films.
In which way ?
Let’s say they have neither the structure nor the look of traditional superhero films. So no matter what happens in the shared universe, my films take place in their own world. At least, that’s how I choose to see it. For example, the themes ofAquaman 2 imposed on me an atmosphere like The mysterious island by Jules Verne, with lots of monsters much scarier than in the first.
Do you really think it’s necessary to break away from the studio plan to preserve your style?
Hmm… I’ll tell you another way: I need to connect with things I believe in. Some people forget it, but my first film is Saw, a million dollar thing! I wasn’t born into blockbusters. And a big budget film means a lot of pressure and stress. But if I find elements that connect me to the characters, then it reconnects me to a form of reality. Human, that is. The rest is just noise. This is how I manage to perceive Aquaman as a film about a loner who seeks to reunite his family. Which generates more personal visions of cinema for me. It’s not really a method for maintaining my style, but it guides me.
“Superhero fatigue”, theorized for around ten years, seems well established this time. The public responds less than before to superheroic films. Does that scare you?
No, because it makes sense. I remember seeing a documentary about the Bee Gees, who started the disco trend and made the genre very popular. And then suddenly almost all the music that was coming out was just disco. After a while, people got tired of it. After 10 or 15 years, they wanted something else and that’s normal. In the same way, for a period not so long ago, it was said that horror cinema was no longer popular. Which was wrong. It’s just that it’s like that with fashions: there are times when the genre is very popular, then it goes back down. And all it takes for it to take off again is one or two good films that bring in the audience. Today’s audiences are much more spoiled, they have tons of superhero movies to choose from. When I was younger, we had the Superman by Richard Donner, Batman by Tim Burton or Punisher with Dolph Lundgren (Laughter.) And that was about it! But now the offer is infinitely greater and people are more demanding. This is completely understandable, and I can hear it getting repetitive. That’s why it’s important, when you’re making a film based on a franchise, to find the unique thing that no one has seen before.
You are worth several billion at the box office; yet, you remain a surprisingly discreet personality. Which is very rare in the industry at this level of success…
It’s linked to my personality. I also find Hollywood a funny concept. I only hang around for work. I don’t go to parties, I hang out with very few people… When I’m not filming, I’m at home with my wife and my dogs, and I play video games. (Laughs.) I refuse to put my finger on this madness that success can generate. We’ve all heard stories of filmmakers we admire who are actually jerks and assholes on set. I don’t want this to happen to me. You never have to behave like an idiot towards your teams… Success is great because it allows me to continue making films and get my foot in the door young directors that I produce. I live to tell stories, but I keep in mind that it’s all just cinema.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, by James Wan, with Jason Momoa, Patrick Wilson, Amber Heard… In theaters December 20. Watch the trailer:
