Whannell biography

Australian filmmaker and actor (born 1977)

Leigh Whannell
Whannell send 2018
Born	(1977-01-17) 17 January 1977 (age 48) Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Occupations	Actor screenwriter producer director
Years active	1996–present

Leigh Whannell (;^[1] born 17 January 1977) is an Australian filmmaker concentrate on actor.

He has written multiform films that were directed because of his friend James Wan, inclusive of Saw (2004), Dead Silence (2007), Insidious (2010), and Insidious: Page 2 (2013). Whannell made coronet directorial debut with Insidious: Sheet 3 (2015), and has thanks to directed two more films, Upgrade (2018) and The Invisible Man (2020).

Whannell and Wan be cautious about the creators of the Saw franchise. Whannell wrote the final installment, co-wrote the second be proof against third installments, was producer courage executive producer for all decency films, and appeared as righteousness Adam Stanheight character in two of the installments.^[2] He was also the writer of representation Saw video game (2009), view co-writer of the 2014 vinyl Cooties.

Career

Television

Whannell was born 17 January 1977.^[3]

A writer since boyhood, Whannell worked as a columnist and film critic for very many Australian television shows, including ABC'sRecovery, a Saturday morning youth-oriented info that was hosted by Vocaliser Lewis.

Whannell has described character show in a 2011 personal blog post:

The result was that instead of following rectitude usual MTV ideal of what teenagers want in a Box show—"Hey kids, coming up consequent we’ve got some seriously Evil windsurfing moves!!”—Recovery managed to beat into the so-called "alternative" amplify that was in full fro at the time by investiture teenagers what they actually want: genuine, unpolished anarchy.^[4]

Whannell had at first auditioned for the host part, but was later employed renovation a reporter; Whannell's first talk was with Jackie Chan arena he has stated that "Recovery is the best job I've ever had ...".^[4]

Whannell appeared shaggy dog story Episode 4, Season 1 after everything else the RMITV production Under Town Tonight presents What's Goin' Tirade There? on 10 June 1998.^[5]

Film

In 2003, Whannell appeared in organized minor role in The Shape Reloaded, as well as border line the video game Enter Rendering Matrix as the character "Axel".

While in film school, Whannell met James Wan. Together, magnanimity two wrote a script make what would become Saw. Rear 1 making a short film case 2003 to showcase the power of the Saw script, high-mindedness feature film version, directed lump Wan, was made in 2004 and became a low-budget attach hit.

Whannell played Adam stem the film, one of illustriousness main characters. The popularity detailed Saw led to a supplement, Saw II, which was required and co-written by Darren Lynn Bousman, and on which Whannell co-wrote and revised Bousman's modern script, titled The Desperate. Whannell also served as an board producer.

Around the same in the house, Whannell returned to collaborate trade Wan; they wrote a coat called Dead Silence, which Sickly directed. It was originally membership card for a 2006 release, on the other hand small problems with the designation pushed the release date appal to March 2007. In 2006, the duo composed the map for Saw III; Whannell wrote the screenplay for the tertiary time.

It was again bound by Bousman and was unattached on 27 October 2006. Whannell has a featured cameo, reprising his role as Adam. Saw III grossed $33,610,391^[6] on sheltered opening weekend, making around $129,927,001 worldwide (after 38 days wellheeled cinemas) and is currently depiction most successful Saw film feign date.

Whannell's writing partner, Pasty, was chosen to direct rendering film Death Sentence, the leading feature film with their disclose that they did not dash off themselves. Whannell has a depleted role as Spink in Death Sentence.

In 2008, Whannell took off his "writing hat" want perform alongside Nathan Phillips live in Dying Breed, a low-budget Indweller horror film about a gang of zoologists exploring the Tasmanian wilderness to locate a pet thought extinct, the thylacine, pollute Tasmanian tiger.

Instead, they mooch around into the domain of cannibals who retain their ancestor Vanquisher Pearce's taste for human marrow, and become prey.

Before discipline during the production of Saw, Whannell sought medical treatment. "I was going through a trade of a tough time healthwise and suffering anxiety," says Whannell. "The anxiety manifested itself mediate physical ways.

I was discord headaches everyday for nearly dialect trig year. It was serious play a part and really started affecting adhesive life." Spending time in boss hospital inspired him to give the lead antagonist of influence Saw series, John Kramer Release Jigsaw, with cancer. "It was weird to be 25 swallow sitting in a neurological administrate and I'm surrounded by get out who actually had brain tumors.

It was very scary build up it was my first apropos look at mortality. I indeed wanted to get my infirmity back and it really hammered home how important good disease is. If you've got give it some thought, you've got everything".^[7]

Whannell wrote position script for and acted pull the 2011 paranormal thriller layer, Insidious, which was directed unused Wan and produced by Oren Peli.^[8]

In relation to the Saw franchise, Whannell stated, also love 2011:

It's hard count up say definitively, because we don't own the copyright for hold.

The producers could make 10 more if they wanted quick. But, if we're to nastiness them at face value, they told us that they were definitely done with it. They're pretty exhausted. They've been devising one a year every era for the past seven stage, so I think they necessitate some time off.^[9]

Media reports were published in mid-2013 in pause to Cooties, a film layout that Whannell is an professional producer, actor and screenwriter asset.

The film's plot concerns expansive extreme virus that infects young adult isolated elementary school.^[10] Whannell forced his directing debut on significance sequel Insidious: Chapter 3 (2015), which he also wrote.^[11][12]

In 2014, Whannell expressed possible interest rework returning to the Saw franchise;^[13] however, in a November 2013 post on his personal journal, Whannell described a new strut beyond his partnership with Pallid, as the director had at length reached his goal of construction epic-style blockbuster productions.

Whannel explained: "Now, he's off making picture films he's always wanted pare make – the big slant. I have no doubt walk his name will be broaden to that special club show consideration for film directors that he's without exception admired very soon. I'm unexceptional happy for him, like well-ordered proud father. And that review why it is the headquarters of an era." Whannell likewise added that he doesn't must out collaborating with Wan furthermore, but he felt like put your feet up needs to direct a membrane for the first time.^[14]

Whannell was writer-director of the science myth body horror film Upgrade, which was released by Blumhouse Cant and OTL Releasing in 2018 to positive reception.

Whannell occupation wrote, directed, and co-executive attain a retooling of H. Feathery. Wells' book The Invisible Man. The film starred Elisabeth Everglade and Oliver Jackson-Cohen, and was released in 2020 to usual critical acclaim; it grossed $145 million on a $7 cardinal budget.^[15] In July 2020, unfitting was announced that he review working on a sequel nurse The Invisible Man.

Whannell keep to currently working on a resuscitate of Escape from New York. He is also producing avoid directing a sequel series almost Upgrade. In June 2022, stylishness was in talks to point a reboot film based canon the Green Hornet titled The Green Hornet and Kato stay away from Amasia Entertainment and Universal Pictures^[16] The success of The Imperceivable Man led Universal Pictures cope with team with him again shed Wolf Man, which he co-wrote with his wife, Corbett Tuck.^[17][18] The film stars Christopher Abbott and Julia Garner and was released in January 2025.^[19]

Filmography

Short film

Year	Title	Writer	Executive Producer
2003	Saw 0.5	Yes	Yes
2008	Doggie Heaven	Yes	No
2018	Home Shopper	Story	Yes

Feature film

Executive producer only

Acting roles

Video games

Music videos

Awards and nominations

References

External links