Leigh Whannell
{{Short description|Australian filmmaker and actor (born 1977)}}
{{Use Australian English|date=April 2012}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Leigh Whannell
| image = Leigh Whannell.jpg
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption = Whannell in 2018
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1977|01|17|df=y}}
| birth_place = Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| occupation = {{hlist|Actor|screenwriter|producer|director}}
| years_active = 1996–present
| spouse =
| children =
| signature = 150px
}}
Leigh Whannell ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|l|i|_|ˈ|w|ɑː|n|ɛ|l}};{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAIfy_8yV3A |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211213/aAIfy_8yV3A |archive-date=2021-12-13 |url-status=live|title=Leigh Whannell (full interview)|via=YouTube |date=5 June 2015|access-date=11 September 2020}}{{cbignore}} born 17 January 1977) is an Australian filmmaker and actor. He has written multiple films that were directed by his friend James Wan, including Saw (2004), Dead Silence (2007), Insidious (2010), and Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013). Whannell made his directorial debut with Insidious: Chapter 3 (2015), and has since directed three more films: Upgrade (2018), The Invisible Man (2020), and Wolf Man (2025).
Whannell and Wan are the creators of the Saw franchise. Whannell wrote the first installment, co-wrote the second and third installments, was producer or executive producer for all the films, and appeared as the Adam Stanheight character in three of the installments.{{cite web |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1191481/ |title=Leigh Whannell – IMDb |publisher=IMDb |date=2 June 2018 }} He was also the writer of the Saw video game (2009), and co-writer of the 2014 film Cooties.
Career
=Television=
File:Leigh Whannell Saw 3D premiere.jpg
A writer since childhood, Whannell worked as a reporter and film critic for several Australian television shows, including ABC's Recovery, a Saturday morning youth-oriented program that was hosted by Dylan Lewis. Whannell has described the show in a 2011 blog post:
The result was that instead of following the usual MTV ideal of what teenagers want in a TV show—"Hey kids, coming up next we’ve got some seriously WICKED windsurfing moves!!”—Recovery managed to tap into the so-called "alternative" movement that was in full swing at the time by giving teenagers what they actually want: genuine, unpolished anarchy.{{cite web|title=My Years in Recovery: A Sordid Tale of Celebrity, Anarchy And Graffitied Footwear|url=http://thewordinthestone.com/#!110|work=The Word in the Stone|publisher=Leigh Whannell|access-date=9 October 2012|first=Leigh|last=Whannell|date=10 July 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141218095402/http://thewordinthestone.com/#!110|archive-date=18 December 2014|url-status=dead}}
Whannell had originally auditioned for the host role, but was later employed as a reporter; Whannell's first interview was with Jackie Chan and he has stated that "Recovery is the best job I've ever had ...".
Whannell appeared in Episode 4, Season 1 of the RMITV production Under Melbourne Tonight presents What's Goin' On There? on 10 June 1998.{{cite web|url=http://web.aanet.com.au/~vfok/umt/episodes/list98-credits.htm|title=UMT list'98|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140115040920/http://web.aanet.com.au/~vfok/umt/episodes/list98-credits.htm|archive-date=15 January 2014}}
=Film=
File:Adam Stanheight Saw32006.jpg in 2006]]
In 2003, Whannell appeared in a minor role in The Matrix Reloaded, as well as in the video game Enter The Matrix as the character "Axel".
While in film school, Whannell met James Wan. Together, the two wrote a script for what would become Saw. After making a short film in 2003 to showcase the intensity of the Saw script, the feature film version, directed by Wan, was made in 2004 and became a low-budget sleeper hit. Whannell played Adam in the film, one of the main characters. The popularity of Saw led to a sequel, Saw II, which was directed and co-written by Darren Lynn Bousman, and on which Whannell co-wrote and revised Bousman's original script, titled The Desperate. Whannell also served as an executive producer.
Around the same time, Whannell returned to collaborate with Wan; they wrote a film called Dead Silence, which Wan directed. It was originally slated for a 2006 release, but small problems with the title pushed the release date back to March 2007. In 2006, the duo composed the story for Saw III; Whannell wrote the screenplay for the third time. It was again directed by Bousman and was released on 27 October 2006. Whannell has a featured cameo, reprising his role as Adam. Saw III grossed $33,610,391{{cite web| url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=saw3.htm| title=Saw III| publisher=Box Office Mojo|access-date=31 October 2009}} on its opening weekend, making around $129,927,001 worldwide (after 38 days in cinemas) and is currently the most successful Saw film to date.
Whannell's writing partner, Wan, was chosen to direct the film Death Sentence, the first feature film with their participation that they did not write themselves. Whannell has a small role as Spink in Death Sentence.
File:James Wan and Leigh Whannell Saw 3D premiere.jpg (left) attending the Saw 3D premiere on 27 October 2010.]]
In 2008, Whannell took off his "writing hat" to perform alongside Nathan Phillips in Dying Breed, a low-budget Australian horror film about a team of zoologists exploring the Tasmanian wilderness to locate a creature thought extinct, the thylacine, or Tasmanian tiger. Instead, they wander into the domain of cannibals who retain their ancestor Alexander Pearce's taste for human flesh, and become prey.
Before and during the production of Saw, Whannell sought medical treatment. "I was going through a bit of a tough time healthwise and suffering anxiety," says Whannell. "The anxiety manifested itself in physical ways. I was suffering headaches everyday for nearly a year. It was serious stuff and really started affecting my life." Spending time in a hospital inspired him to endow the lead antagonist of the Saw series, John Kramer / Jigsaw, with cancer. "It was weird to be 25 and sitting in a neurological ward and I'm surrounded by people who actually had brain tumors. It was very scary and it was my first proper look at mortality. I really wanted to get my health back and it really hammered home how important good health is. If you've got that, you've got everything".{{cite web|title=Facing Up to the Fear |url=http://www.writingstudio.co.za/page1481.html |work=The Writing Studio |publisher=Daniel E. Dercksen |access-date=2 October 2012 |first=Daniel |last=Dercksen |year=2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071020142608/http://www.writingstudio.co.za/page1481.html |archive-date=20 October 2007 }}
Whannell wrote the script for and acted in the 2011 paranormal thriller film, Insidious, which was directed by Wan and produced by Oren Peli.{{cite web|title=Saw Creators Get Insidious with Paranormal Team|url=http://www.dreadcentral.com/news/35714/saw-creators-get-insidious-with-paranormal-team|work=Dread Central|publisher=Dread Central Media, LLC|access-date=2 October 2012|last=Barton|first=Steve|date=5 February 2010}}
In relation to the Saw franchise, Whannell stated, also in 2011:
It's hard to say definitively, because we don't own the copyright for it. The producers could make 10 more if they wanted to. But, if we're to take them at face value, they told us that they were definitely done with it. They're pretty exhausted. They've been making one a year every year for the past seven years, so I think they need some time off.{{cite web|title=The Kidd Goes 2-On-1 with the Creators of Saw, James Wan & Leigh Whannell, To Discuss Their New Film Insidious|url=http://www.infamouskidd.com/the-kidd-interviews-james-wan-leigh-whannell/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110402235317/http://www.infamouskidd.com/the-kidd-interviews-james-wan-leigh-whannell/|url-status=dead|archive-date=2 April 2011|work=InfamousKidd.com|publisher=InfamousKidd.com. WTF Productions|access-date=2 October 2012|author=The Infamous Billy The Kidd|date=30 March 2011}}
Media reports were published in mid-2013 in regard to Cooties, a film project that Whannell is an executive producer, actor and screenwriter for. The film's plot concerns an extreme virus that infects an isolated elementary school.{{cite web|title=Leigh Whannell's 'Cooties' Cast Grows with Rainn Wilson and Alison Pill |url=http://www.best-horror-movies.com/news?name=leigh-whannells-cooties-cast-grows-with-rainn-wilson-and-alison-pill |work=Best-Horror-Movies.com |access-date=17 July 2013 |author=Matt Molgaard |date=15 July 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140116194621/http://www.best-horror-movies.com/news?name=leigh-whannells-cooties-cast-grows-with-rainn-wilson-and-alison-pill |archive-date=16 January 2014 }} Whannell made his directing debut on the sequel Insidious: Chapter 3 (2015), which he also wrote.{{cite web|title='Insidious: Chapter 3′ Scheduled for a Spring 2015 Release|url=http://screenrant.com/insidious-chapter-3-spring-2015-release-date/|work=Screen Rant|publisher=Screen Rant, LLC|access-date=21 February 2014|author=H. Shaw-Williams|date=November 2013}}{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/creepypuppet/status/464105691834093568?p=v|title=James Wan on Twitter}}
In 2014, Whannell expressed possible interest in returning to the Saw franchise;{{cite web|url=http://www.starburstmagazine.com/movie-news/9975-leigh-whannell-and-james-wan-to-return-for-another-saw|title=Leigh Whannell and James Wan to Return for Another SAW?|last=Pollard|first=Andrew|work=Starburst|date=17 October 2014|access-date=25 October 2014}} however, in a November 2013 post on his personal blog, Whannell described a new chapter beyond his partnership with Wan, as the director had finally reached his goal of making epic-style blockbuster productions. Whannel explained: "Now, he's off making the films he's always wanted to make – the big ones. I have no doubt that his name will be added to that special club of film directors that he's always admired very soon. I'm so happy for him, like a proud father. And that is why it is the end of an era." Whannell also added that he doesn't rule out collaborating with Wan again, but he felt like he needs to direct a film for the first time.{{cite web|author1=Leigh Whannell|title=Goodbye to a friend, and hello to....something.|url=http://thewordinthestone.com/#!114|website=The Word in the Stone|access-date=23 November 2014|date=8 November 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141218095402/http://thewordinthestone.com/#!114|archive-date=18 December 2014|url-status=dead}}
Whannell was writer-director of the science fiction action film Upgrade, which was released by Blumhouse Tilt and OTL Releasing in 2018 to positive reception. Whannell next wrote, directed, and co-executive produced a retooling of H. G. Wells' book The Invisible Man. The film starred Elisabeth Moss and Oliver Jackson-Cohen, and was released in 2020 to universal critical acclaim; it grossed $145 million on a $7 million budget.{{cite Box Office Mojo|id=1051906|title=The Invisible Man (2020 film)|accessdate=September 7, 2024}} In July 2020, it was announced that he is working on a sequel to The Invisible Man. Whannell is currently working on a reboot of Escape from New York. He is also producing and directing a sequel series to Upgrade. In June 2022, he was in talks to direct a reboot film based on the Green Hornet titled The Green Hornet and Kato from Amasia Entertainment and Universal Pictures{{Cite web |last=Kroll |first=Justin |date=2022-06-23 |title='Invisible Man' Director Leigh Whannell Eyeing 'Green Hornet And Kato' Pic at Universal |url=https://deadline.com/2022/06/invisible-man-leigh-whannel-green-hornet-and-kato-1235050921/ |access-date=2023-06-12 |website=Deadline}} The success of The Invisible Man led Universal Pictures to team with him again on Wolf Man, which he co-wrote with his wife, Corbett Tuck.{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/wolfman-ryan-gosling-drops-out-christopher-abbott-1235746506/ |title=Christopher Abbott Replacing Ryan Gosling to Star in Wolf Man for Blumhouse, Universal (Exclusive) |date=December 13, 2023 |first=Borys |last=Kit |website=The Hollywood Reporter |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231213182821/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/wolfman-ryan-gosling-drops-out-christopher-abbott-1235746506/ |archive-date=December 13, 2023 |url-status=live |access-date=October 24, 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://screenrant.com/wolf-man-leigh-whannell-blumhouse-nycc-2024-interview/|title=NYCC 2024: Wolf Man Director Leigh Whannell Reveals Key Details About Blumhouse's New Horror Remake|date=October 24, 2024|first=Tessa|last=Smith|website=Screen Rant|access-date=October 24, 2024}} The film stars Christopher Abbott and Julia Garner and was released in January 2025.{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2024/film/trailers/wolf-man-trailer-christopher-abbott-julia-garner-1235888479/|title=Wolf Man Trailer: Christopher Abbott Transforms in Bloody Horror Remake|first=Diego|last=Ramos Bechara|work=Variety|date=September 6, 2024|access-date=September 6, 2024}}
Filmography
Short film
| class="wikitable" |
| Year
! Title ! width="65" | Writer ! width="65" | Executive |
|---|
| 2003
| Saw 0.5 | {{yes}} | {{yes}} |
| 2008
| Doggie Heaven | {{yes}} | {{no}} |
| 2018
| Home Shopper | {{partial|Story}} | {{yes}} |
=Feature film=
| class="wikitable" |
| Year
! Title ! width="65" | Director ! width="65" | Writer ! width="65" | Executive |
|---|
| 2004
| Saw | {{no}} | {{yes}} | {{no}} |
| 2005
| Saw II | {{no}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} |
| 2006
| Saw III | {{no}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} |
| 2007
| {{no}} | {{yes}} | {{no}} |
| 2010
| {{no}} | {{yes}} | {{no}} |
| 2013
| {{no}} | {{yes}} | {{no}} |
| rowspan=2|2014
| Cooties | {{no}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} |
| The Mule
| {{no}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} |
| 2015
| {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{no}} |
| rowspan=2|2018
| {{no}} | {{yes}} | {{partial|Producer}} |
| Upgrade
| {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} |
| 2020
| {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} |
| 2023
| {{no}} | {{partial|Story}} | {{partial|Producer}} |
| 2025
| Wolf Man | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} |
Executive producer only
=Acting roles=
| class="wikitable" |
| Year
! Title ! Roles ! Notes |
|---|
| 1996
| Stuart Maughan | 2 episodes |
| 1996–2000
| Recovery | Himself | ABC Music TV series |
| 1999–2000
| Jared Ryan | 2 episodes |
| rowspan="3" | 2003
|Saw | David | Short film |
| The Matrix Reloaded
| Axel | {{Cite web |last=Bell |first=Amanda |date=2021-01-28 |title=Why Axel From The Matrix: Reloaded Looks So Familiar |url=https://www.looper.com/321986/why-axel-from-the-matrix-reloaded-looks-so-familiar/ |access-date=2023-02-23 |website=Looper}} |
| Razor Eaters
| Nick D. | |
| rowspan="2" | 2004
| Saw | |
| One Perfect Day
| Chris | |
| rowspan="2"|2006
| Saw III | Adam Stanheight | |
| 30 Even Scarier Movie Moments
| Himself | Miniseries |
| 2007
| Spink | |
| 2008
| Matt | |
| 2010
| Specs | |
| 2012
| Little Brother, Big Trouble: A Christmas Adventure | Jatt (voice) | |
| rowspan="4" | 2013
| Clement Moss | |
| Crush
| David | |
| Raze
| Elevator Guard | |
| Insidious: Chapter 2
| Specs | |
| rowspan="2" | 2014
| Cooties | Doug |
| The Mule
| Gavin | |
| 2015
| Specs | |
| rowspan="2" | 2017
| Larry | |
| Keep Watching
| Matt Miller | |
| rowspan="2" | 2018
| Specs | |
| Aquaman
| Cargo Pilot |
| 2023
| Specs | |
| 2025
|Dan Kiel (voice) | |
=Other credits=
Video games
Music video
Awards and nominations
| class="wikitable sortable"
!Year !Award !Category !Nominated work !Result |
| rowspan="2" |2005
|Best Screenplay | rowspan="2" |Saw |{{Won}} |
| Teen Choice Awards
|Choice Movie Scream |{{Nominated}} |
| 2015
|Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards |Best Movie |{{Nominated}} |
| rowspan="4" |2018
|Secció Oficial Fantàstic | rowspan="6" |Upgrade |{{Nominated}} |
| South by Southwest Festival Film Awards
|Audience Award – Midnighters |{{Won}} |
| Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards
|{{Nominated}} |
| Hollywood Critics Association Midseason Awards
|Best Original Screenplay |{{Nominated}} |
| rowspan="2" |2019
|Best Wide-Release Film |{{Nominated}} |
| Australian Film Critics Association Awards
|Best Screenplay |{{Nominated}} |
| rowspan="5" |2020
| rowspan="9" |The Invisible Man |{{Won}} |
| rowspan="2" |Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards
|{{Nominated}} |
| Best Direction
|{{Nominated}} |
| rowspan="2" |Hollywood Critics Association Midseason Awards
|Best Adapted Screenplay |{{Won}} |
| Best Male Director
|{{Nominated}} |
| rowspan="4" |2021
|{{Nominated}} |
| rowspan="2" |Fangoria Chainsaw Awards
|Best Screenplay |{{Won}} |
| Best Director
|{{Won}} |
| Austin Film Critics Association Awards
|{{Nominated}} |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{official website|http://thewordinthestone.com}}
- {{IMDb name|1191481}}
- {{Commons category-inline}}
{{Leigh Whannell}}
{{Bram Stoker Award for Best Screenplay}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Whannell, Leigh}}
Category:Australian expatriates in the United States
Category:Australian film producers
Category:Australian horror film directors
Category:Australian male film actors
Category:Australian screenwriters
Category:English-language film directors
Category:film directors from Melbourne