Aquaman filmmaker James Wan is heading back to his indie horror roots for his next project.

Before he moves to Aquaman 2, which he is producing and is expected to direct, Wan will helm an untitled original thriller that is due to begin production this fall.

The project — based on a a story by Wan and Ingrid Bisu — will shoot in Los Angeles, as a recipient of the Independent California Film Rebate.

Wan and Michael Clear will produce via their Atomic Monster banner. Starlight Media and Midas Innovation will independently finance the movie and will retain distribution rights in China.

New Line — the Warner Bros.-based genre label that has collaborated with the director on his Conjuring universe of films, along with titles Lights Out and the upcoming Mortal Kombat movie that he will be producing — will distribute the movie worldwide.

Plot details are being kept secret, but the film is expected to be a slice of horror Wan hasn't yet explored.

Casting is well underway on James Wan‘s new horror film for New Line, which has Maddie Hasson, Annabelle Wallis, Jake Abel and George Young attached to star. Plot details, at this time, are still under wraps. All we know is that it’s an original movie, not part of any existing property, and that Wan is aiming for a “hard R” rating. The current working title is Silvercup.

The particular sub-genre Wan is playing around with this time? Well, a recent article over on Deadline had a little nugget of info in it that caught our eye. The article listed the company name of Wan’s “Untitled Atomic Monster Project” (Atomic Monster being Wan’s production company) as “Giallo Films, LLC,” which led us to wonder if Wan was making a Giallo film.

We checked to see if that company name is any indication of the film’s sub-genre, and we can confirm that it indeed is! Italian Giallo films pre-date the American slasher, often centered on a murder-mystery involving a black-gloved killer. Notable Giallo films include The Bird With the Crystal Plumage, Deep Red, Blood and Black Lace and Don’t Torture a Duckling.

The film will shoot in Los Angeles at the end of September.

Wan is producing with Michael Clear. Wan and Ingrid Bisu share “story by” credits.

“In the film, Madison is paralyzed by shocking visions of grisly murders, and her torment worsens as she discovers that these waking dreams are in fact terrifying realities.”

Malignant has been rated “R” for:

“Strong horror violence, gruesome images, and for language.”

The cast includes Annabelle Wallis, Maddie Hasson, Mckenna Grace, Jake Abel, George Young, Ingrid Bisu, Michole Briana White and Jacqueline McKenzie.

Director James Wan – architect of “The Conjuring” universe – returns to his roots with a completely new and original horror thriller. Paralyzed by shocking visions of grisly murders, Madison's torment worsens as she discovers that her waking dreams are in fact terrifying realities. #MalignantMovie

Malignant will be available on September 10 in theaters and on HBO Max, streaming only on the Ad-Free plan in the US for 31 days from its theatrical release. http://itsh.bo/hbo-max

Starring Annabelle Wallis, Maddie Hasson, George Young, Michole Briana White, Jacqueline McKenzie, Jake Abel and Ingrid Bisu (“The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It").