James Wan’s Malignant: HBO Max promo shows first look at footage

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Director James Wan's latest horror film Malignant is one of the many movies Warner Bros. will be releasing to theatres and the HBO Max streaming service on the same day in 2021, and while we still don't know an exact release date for this one, we have gotten our first glimpse at footage from it thanks to the HBO Max promo embedded above.

This glimpse only lasts about a second, but it's a very intriguing second, showing a dark figure rising up behind Annabelle Wallis as she lies in bed, bathed in colorful light, while something strange is happening in the background. It makes it look like Malignant is going to be quite trippy.

Plot details are under wraps, but it has been said that Malignant is "giallo-inspired". Wan also promised it would be a 

hard-R thriller. An original horror idea (not a reboot/remake or anything based on existing IP) with old school, practical effects and no giant, blue screen sets."

That "hard-R" part definitely panned out, because the film has officially been rated R for "strong horror violence and gruesome images, and language".

Wallis is joined in the cast by Maddie Hasson, Mckenna Grace, Jake Abel, George Young, Ingrid Bisu, Michole Briana White, and Jacqueline McKenzie.

Wan and Bisu crafted the story together, then Wan wrote the screenplay with Akela Cooper and J.T. Petty.