Night Swim producer James Wan aims to ruin swimming pools for viewers

Soon after the release of M3GAN back in January, it was announced that the team behind the film – Universal Pictures, Blumhouse Productions, and James Wan’s production company Atomic Monster – were aiming to replicate M3GAN‘s January theatrical success by setting a January 2024 release date for their supernatural thriller Night Swim. The movie has a January 5th release date… and according to an interview with director Bryce McGuire, it might ruin the concept of swimming pools for some viewers.

McGuire has written and directed Night Swim, which is based on a short film he made with Rod Blackhurst back in 2014. The feature version of the story is built around the hidden source of terror found in an iconic backyard swimming pool. The film has the following logline: No running. No diving. No lifeguard on duty. No swimming after dark.

Here’s the synopsis: Ray Waller, a former major league baseball player forced into early retirement by a degenerative illness, moves into a new home with his concerned wife Eve, teenage daughter Izzy, and young son Elliot. Secretly hoping, against the odds, to return to pro ball, Ray persuades Eve that the new home’s shimmering backyard swimming pool will be fun for the kids and provide physical therapy for him. But a dark secret in the home’s past will unleash a malevolent force that will drag the family under, into the depths of inescapable terror.

The feature version of Night Swim stars Wyatt Russell (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier), Kerry Condon (The Banshees of Inisherin), Amélie Hoeferle (The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes), and Gavin Warren (Fear the Walking Dead).

James Wan and Blumhouse founder Jason Blum are producing Night Swim while working on merging their companies. Atomic Monster’s Michael Clear and Judson Scott serve as executive producers alongside Blumhouse’s Ryan Turek. Alayna Glasthal is overseeing the project for Atomic Monster.

The 2014 short film version of the story starred Megalyn Echikunwoke (Night School 2018) and had the following synopsis: What better way to relax after a hectic day in the office than a long and cool night swim under the stars? Immersed in the aqueous element like a fetus inside the mother’s womb, the unsuspecting Eve enjoys the water in the privacy of her house; however, she is not alone. Apart from Margot, her cat, an intangible menace in the form of a shadowy night watcher observes from afar–invisible like the midnight breeze, yet very real. Is Eve in danger? Is this her last dive? It had a running time of just 4 minutes.

Speaking with Coming Soon, McGuire said the film is “a story of a family that’s dealing with a major setback in the husband being sick and having this degenerative illness, and they’re trying to figure out how to start over and how to reshape their life. And they’re put through a crucible to test what’s important to them. And much like a Shyamalan thing, it’s like there’s a lesson learned, like what gives you value, what gives you identity, what gives you happiness. In a way, the pool becomes a test of what we care about most and what we’re willing to kind of sacrifice.” The filmmaker went on to say, “James (Wan) loves taking something that’s supposed to be safe and ruining it. … He loves it. Whether it’s a doll or, I mean that’s done, but there’s almost mischievousness in his love for just like, you think that’s fun, that’s safe? No. It is done. You’re done. Like you never look at it the same. That super high concept, commercial aspect of taking something that’s familiar and safe and ruining it. Blumhouse really like, brought a lot of character focus, and really cared a lot about these roles and these characters and this family’s journey. And I think that it was the perfect kind of marriage of the high concept, high-octane thrills and chills with this kind of thematic depth and kind of character stuff going on.“

Are you interested in Night Swim? Are you looking forward to seeing how the movie is going to ruin swimming pools for viewers? Let us know by leaving a comment below.