EXCLUSIVE: Universal Pictures has set Will Beall to write The Creature From The Black Lagoon, from an idea Beall had to revive the classic 1954 film as part of the studio’s classic monsters franchise. Beall just scripted another underwater event movie, Aquaman, which James Wan is directing with Jason Momoa in the title role for Warner Bros and DC. Beall also exec produced Training Day, the CBS series transplant of the hit movie. After the untimely death of series star Bill Paxton, that series is going to wind down and end after the network broadcasts the 13 episodes that were completed. Beall, whose breakthrough came with Gangster Squad, has worked on a string of Warner Bros projects that include The Legend of Conan, the latter of which is being produced by Chris Morgan. Morgan and Alex Kurtzman are producing Creature, and they are the architects of Universal’s Monsters Universe. That program starts June 9 with the release of The Mummy, which Kurtzman directed and stars Tom Cruise, and had a rousing presentation at Cinemacon this week.

The Creature From the Black Lagoon is rising once again.

James Wan, the creator of the Saw and The Conjuring horror franchises, is developing a new take on the classic Universal monster property and is in early talks to direct the feature project.

The move comes as Wan and his collaborators presented Universal with a pitch to remake the 1954 monster classic. A writer will now be hired to write a script, working in concert with Wan.

This is the first project Wan has attached himself to as a director following his company’s production banner, Atomic Monster, merging with Blumhouse. Wan was under water for the last few years on DC superhero movie Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom and has been looking to get back to his horror roots in some way.

Wan will act as a producer on Creature, while Atomic Monster’s Michael Clear and Judson Scott serve as executive producers.

The black and white movie, made in the gimmicky and popular 3D format, told of a prehistoric water-breathing humanoid monster and the group of scientists that want to study him. It was the among the last of the Universal’s great monster movies, combining an entrancing mix of horror, tragedy, and romance, and introduced audiences to the unique Gill-Man, aka The Creature who is the last of his kind.

Jack Arnold, who helmed sci-fi classics such as The Incredible Shrinking Man, directed the movie that featured Julie Adams as the woman who caught the Creature’s eye.

Hollywood has tried to bring back Creature since the 1980s, when John Landis tried to produce an iteration, while John Carpenter and even Ivan Reitman developed takes in the 1990s. Gary Ross took it on in the 2000s, intent on following in his father’s footsteps — Arthur A. Ross co-wrote the script — as did Breck Eisner.

More recently, the character was to have been part of Universal’s Dark Universe monster movies in the 2010s, with Will Beall writing the installment. The Dark Universe initiative eventually imploded as the studio focused on a more filmmaker-centric approach.

Wan’s take is described as being a grounded, modernized retelling that will lean into visceral horror, while still paying respect to the original.

Executive vp production development Jay Polidoro will oversee the project for Universal.

Atomic Monster, with Blumhouse, produced thriller Night Swim earlier this year and is working on a sequel to horror hit M3GAN, due out in 2025, and a spinoff, SOULM8TE, due out in 2026.

Wan is repped by CAA, Stacey Testro International and Myman Greenspan Fox.

EXCLUSIVE: Mayans M.C. Co-EP Sean Tretta is set to pen Atomic Monster and Universal’s reboot of The Creature From the Black Lagoon.

The screenplay is based off a treatment written by James Wan, Rafael Jordan and Bryan Coyne.

Wan is in early talks to potentially direct a grounded modernized retelling that leans into visceral horror whilst paying respect to the original classic.

Atomic Monster will produce the film. Wan is a producer. Atomic Monster’s Michael Clear and Judson Scott are executive producers.