Why Aquaman Director James Wan Keeps On Casting Patrick Wilson In His Movies [Exclusive]
Some pretty famous actor/director pairings have defined a sizable portion of classic cinema over the years. Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro; the Coen brothers and Frances McDormand; Guillermo del Toro and Doug Jones. It's a legendary list and one that should most certainly include James Wan and Patrick Wilson. Dating back to 2010's smash hit "Insidious," the duo have worked together on six of Wan's directorial efforts (and many more that he's produced). That sixth collaboration came in "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom," which is just now making its way to theaters after several long delays.
But why is it that Wan continues to cast Wilson in his films? In fairness, this is a sequel and Wilson's Orm is a big part of the story. Even so, the two clearly want to keep working with one another. /Film's own Jacob Hall recently spoke with Wan in anticipation of the sequel's release and asked the filmmaker about their continued partnership. Here's what he had to say about it:
"It's pretty simple. Patrick is a talented actor. He's great. He's really easy to work with. He is no fuss. At the end of the day, he is a big film buff. He's such a film fan, which some people were a little bit surprised when he wanted to direct. He went on to direct the next 'Insidious' film, but not for me."
Indeed, Wilson directed this year's "Insidious: The Red Door," which went on to become a very big hit. Wan returned as a producer on the project, extending the scope of their ongoing creative collaborations. Between that franchise, "The Conjuring," and "Aquaman," good things happen when these two work together.
Treating Aquaman like 'fricking Shakespeare'
Wilson is a remarkably reliable actor, having starred in big movies such as "Watchmen," "The Phantom of the Opera," and "In the Tall Grass," among many others, outside of his team-ups with Wan. Speaking further about their work together and his lack of surprise when Wilson decided to jump into the director's chair, Wan explained that they simply enjoy one another (which makes the whole thing much easier):
"I've spent many years hanging out with Patrick on set, and we would just sort of geek out and talk about all the movies that we grew up loving. So I'm not surprised at all that Patrick has aspirations to do more stuff behind the camera. I enjoy working with the guy. He gets me, I get him, and we kind of have a very shorthand way of working. We trust each other and it makes it fun. Filmmaking can be very stressful, so it's kind of nice to surround yourself with people that you enjoy working with."
Speaking specifically about Wilson's talents as an actor, much of it comes down to his ability to treat the material with reverence. Be it as paranormal investigator Ed Warren or as the petulant super-powered brother of a water-dwelling superhero, Wilson takes it seriously. And sometimes, that's easier said than done. As Wan put it:
"He can take the most ridiculous lines that I would throw at him in these movies and he'll read it like it's fricking Shakespeare. And that's great. He doesn't thumb his nose. He understands all the different movies that we make together and it just makes it easy for me."
"Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" is in theaters now.