San Andreas‘ Brad Peyton will direct Malignant Man, a sci-fi/action project being produced by horror icon James Wan (The Conjuring, The Conjuring 2, Saw, Dead Silence, Fast 7, Insidious), reports Heat Vision.
“The story focuses on Alex Gates, a patient dying of a terminal disease who is resigned to his fate … until he discovers that his malignant tumor is actually a mysterious alien parasite. Now with some incredible powers and a renewed purpose, Gates is tasked with fighting a secret army lurking behind the veils of society while also peeling back his own secrets.”
Malignant Man is set up at Fox and based on a Boom! Studios comic that Wan co-created. Boom!’s Ross Richie and Stephen Christy are producing with Wan, who is working via his Atomic Monster label. Peyton also will produce. Zak Olkewicz wrote a draft of the adaptation.
Wan produced Lights Out, another horror movie that New Line will open July 22, and he is set to direct Aquaman for Warner Bros.
Peyton’s San Andreas, the earthquake disaster pic that starred Dwayne Johnson, grossed $473 million worldwide. The director recently wrapped shooting Frontier, a series set in the 18th century world of the North American fur trade, for Netflix and is due to reteam with Johnson for New Line’s adaptation of the video game Rampage.