From Laughs to Gasps: Kumail Nanjiani Sets Feature Directorial Debut With Horror Howl

Kumail Nanjiani is stepping behind the camera for the first time, and yes, he picked horror. The twist: it isn't that Insidious spin-off he was attached to a couple years back. This is a new project called 'Howl!' and it's the one he wants to make his directorial debut.

Remember that Insidious-adjacent movie?

Back in 2022, Nanjiani and Mandy Moore signed on for 'Threads: An Insidious Tale' — a side story set in the Insidious universe, not a straight sequel. It still hasn't gotten off the ground. In the meantime, Nanjiani isn't waiting around.

So what's 'Howl!'?

Details are locked up for now. What Nanjiani did say on the 'Comedy Means Business' podcast is that the script originally came to him as an acting gig, and that flipped a switch: this is the one he wants to direct.

"Directing was like this vague thing I wanted to do, but it wasn't until I read this script that came to me to act in that I was like, 'Okay, I don't know if I know how to direct, but I think I know how to direct this movie.' Emily and I are huge genre fans — we watch every sci-fi, every horror — and this one has a very specific tone I can see in my head."

He's not calling it a horror-comedy, just a genre piece with a tone he feels confident about. Given his background, yeah, you're probably wondering how scary vs. funny this ends up being. Same.

Who's making it and when

Nanjiani is set to direct and produce 'Howl!' alongside Emily V. Gordon and Dani Melia through their banner Winter Coat Films. The plan is to shoot next year.

The horror resume you maybe forgot he had

• Horror-comedy 'Hell Baby'
• Voice work on a 'Walking Dead' video game
• Voice roles in the animated series 'Haunted Hotel' and the film 'Hell and Back'
• Uncredited cameo in the 2015 'Goosebumps' movie
• Horror-comedy 'Destroy All Neighbors'
• Guest spots on 'The X-Files' and 'The Twilight Zone'
• Supporting role in 'Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire'
• Recently shot a pilot for 'Very Young Frankenstein,' a potential TV continuation of the Mel Brooks classic

Why this pivot makes sense right now

He points to other comics-turned-horror filmmakers — Jordan Peele, Josh Ruben, Zach Cregger — as proof the lane is wide open. Their success gave him a little extra push to take the leap.

Bottom line: 'Howl!' is under wraps, but the plan is in motion. If you're keeping score, that's one stalled Insidious offshoot and one brand-new horror feature with Nanjiani calling the shots. I'm curious where he lands the tone — and how hard 'Howl!' actually bites.