One of James Wan’s early producing efforts was the lean, highly accessible chiller Lights Out. The film introduced Swedish filmmaker David F. Sandberg to a global audience and quickly elevated his career, leading to major studio projects including Annabelle: Creation, Shazam!, and, more recently, the Until Dawn adaptation.

Made for about $5 million, Lights Out grossed nearly $150 million worldwide and should have immediately set a sequel in motion… but the lights went out as Sandberg and Wan were busy with other projects.

Now, a full ten years later, New Line...