Jas Wan, who had launched his film career in 2000 but only truly made a na for himself in 2004, knew all too well that the path to stardom in Hollywood was a difficult one. The road to the director's chair was even harder.
Countless talented directors never got their shot, and even for an established filmmaker like himself, the opportunities to advance were frustratingly scarce.
His work on the Saw films had brought Lionsgate a steady stream of imnse profits, yet the studio seed determined to keep him confined to that very franchise.
After the release of Saw II, Lionsgate had promised to support his other projects as long as he kept delivering installnts of their lucrative horror series. Now, with the sixth Saw film on the horizon, those promises remained unfulfilled.
In the anti, he had managed to direct Dead Silence by securing investnts from other companies.
Perhaps it was the lackluster performance of Dead Silence that made Lionsgate so hesitant.
After one broken promise after another, Jas Wan finally accepted the truth: Lionsgate was simply milking him for all he was worth, with no real intention of ever backing his passion projects.
So, just after the New Year, he had made his decision. Once he fulfilled his final contractual obligation to Lionsgate, he would sever ties with them completely.
For his next project, he needed to find partners he could actually trust.
At a party, he had confided in his friend, Justin Lin, who then earnestly recomnded Matthew. One particular point struck a chord with Jas Wan: Matthew treated Chinese directors with the sa respect he showed their white counterparts.
As an outsider in Hollywood, Jas had endured years of unfair treatnt with little recourse.
What mattered most was finding a platform where his ideas could be brought to life on their own rit—a fair chance was more valuable than anything else.
Justin Lin had worked with Matthew on a film and had experienced this firsthand, so his recomndation carried significant weight.
Jas Wan had also spoken with Matthew before and had even asked a mutual acquaintance to sound out Daniel Wu. Everything Justin Lin had said was true.
As he sat across from Matthew now, Jas Wan didn't see any of the condescending or dismissive glances he had grown so accustod to in Hollywood.
"Matthew, I'm planning to leave the Saw franchise."
Jas Wan cut straight to the chase. "I'm looking to direct a new horror film."
Matthew nodded. "That's a smart move. A director who stays with one franchise for too long ends up limiting himself."
Jas smiled. "That's what I think, too." He paused for a mont before continuing, "But Lionsgate isn't backing . So, my plan is to wait until Saw VI is released this year, and then I'm done with them."
"Do you have a new idea?" Matthew asked, getting right to it.
"Well..." Jas Wan admitted, "I'm still developing it."
He then elaborated, "I don't want to keep making films in the vein of Saw. Do you rember what we discussed the last ti we t?"
The reminder jogged Matthew's mory. They had talked about the differences between Eastern and Western horror, and Jas had expressed a desire to blend the spiritual terror of the East with the frawork of a traditional Western horror film.
Seeing Matthew's assenting nod, Jas continued, "That Eastern approach to horror gave
a new idea, which Leigh Whannell and I have developed into a script."
With that, he pulled a very slim script from his bag and handed it to Matthew. "This film is a bit more traditional in its style than my last one."
Matthew opened the script and began to read. It was thin—clearly a first draft, barely fifty pages long. The content was sparse, but even a quick skim was enough to grasp the core concept: a family, thrilled to move into a new ho, suddenly finds themselves under attack by a malevolent spirit.
On the surface, the haunted house plot didn't seem to offer anything particularly new or noteworthy.
Then again, Matthew had never been one to chase novelty for its own sake.
True innovation could yield unexpected rewards, but in the world of comrcial filmmaking, it was far more likely to lead to financial ruin. Hollywood was littered with the wreckage of such ambitious failures.
As Matthew continued to leaf through the pages, Jas elaborated, "I want to make a classic Western horror film that skillfully integrates the strengths of Eastern horror."
Matthew gave a careful nod. North Arica was, without a doubt, the most insular film market in the world.
The fact that Jas understood this proved he was a director with a keen sense of the market, not so naive fool who thought he could simply transplant a European or Asian classic and expect it to thrive in North Arica.
It was a surprisingly difficult balance for an outsider director in Hollywood to strike.
Matthew looked at Jas Wan. "Go on," he prompted.
Encouraged, Jas continued, "The film I envision is in the vein of classics like House on Haunted Hill and The Exorcist."
He paused, gathering his thoughts. "The Exorcist was shot in a very naturalistic style, almost like a docuntary, and that's what made the horror feel so real. I've always wanted to make a film like that—sothing controlled, but with that sa docuntary-like feel."
"To give it a sense of authenticity?" Matthew caught his aning.
Jas nodded emphatically. "Exactly. And I think making a film like that is incredibly difficult, much harder than making sothing with flashy visuals and rapid-fire editing."
With that, he produced a binder, thicker than the script, and passed it across the table. "Here's my proposal."
Matthew took it and flipped through the first few pages, quickly scanning the overview. His brow furrowed. "A production budget of only 1.5 million dollars?" he asked.
"Yes." Jas didn't let on that he was worried no one would invest more, offering a confident smile instead. "1.5 million is more than enough."
Matthew quickly skimd the rest of the proposal, then leaned back, his fingers tapping lightly on the armrest as he fell into thought.
There was no denying it: Jas Wan had delivered a gold mine to Lionsgate with the Saw series, a reliable source of massive annual profits.
In that regard, his value was undeniable.
But it was also impossible to ignore the fact that Dead Silence had been a comrcial disappointnt.
That failure was likely the very reason for the current friction between Jas Wan and Lionsgate.
The tapping of Matthew's fingers on the armrest slowed as he reached a decision. He was building a horror universe, and he had a prior connection to the director of the Saw franchise. Wouldn't it be the right move to bring Jas Wan into the fold?
The last ti they had spoken at length, Matthew had been impressed. Jas Wan was a genuinely thoughtful horror director.
A vision didn't guarantee success, but without one, success was impossible.
Besides, it was just an experint, an investnt of a re one and a half million dollars.
One and a half million dollars was a fortune to most people, but to Matthew, it wasn't even a tenth of his acting fee for a single film. If the movie bombed, the loss would be negligible. And in the worst-case scenario, he could simply cut ties with Jas and never work with him again.
But what if it succeeded? What if it beca the next Saw?
He thought about Saw's tiny budget. Its massive box office haul. The fortune it made in ho video sales and television rights.
Major studios, and even most small to mid-sized production companies with multiple shareholders, had a rigid vetting process for new projects. A film wasn't greenlit simply because a CEO or so other executive read a script and thought it was good.
But Studio 13 was different. Despite the cross-shareholding with SkyDance and David Ellison's position as the second-largest shareholder, when it ca to the film business, Matthew had the final say.
Matthew weighed his options for another mont, then made his decision.
"Jas, I'm prepared to back this project." He rarely made investnt decisions this quickly, but the stakes were unusually low compared to his past ventures. "Studio 13 will finance it."
"That's... Matthew, I can't sign a contract just yet..." A wave of relief washed over Jas, followed by a sheepish smile. "I'm still under contract with Lionsgate. I can't direct any other films until after Saw VI is released."
Matthew asked bluntly, "When is that?"
Jas quickly replied, "It's scheduled for release just before Halloween this year."
"Perfect." Matthew's decision was made, and he saw no reason to waver. "I'll wait."
Jas could imdiately tell that Matthew genuinely valued his project.
Since Matthew wanted to show he valued Jas as a director, he decided to sweeten the deal. "Jas, if you work with Studio 13, I can guarantee you two things."
He held up one finger. "First, you will be the director and the producer. You will have absolute creative control over this project. No one, including , will interfere with your vision."
Then Matthew raised a second finger. "And second, I have solid, long-standing relationships with both Walt Disney and Warner Brothers. I can get your film into their distribution pipelines."
Those two promises sealed it. Jas knew he had found the right partner. Serving as both director and producer ant fewer constraints, and access to a Big Six distribution network ant he could secure a wide theatrical release.
They continued their conversation long into the evening, until it was finally ti for Jas to leave.
"Jas, why don't I take you and Justin out to dinner?" Matthew offered.
"Sorry, Matthew." Jas offered an apologetic smile. "I have plans tonight. Leigh Whannell and I have a eting I promised him a couple of days ago."
Matthew didn't press the issue and departed on his own.
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