Comedian/Actor Kumail Nanjiani to Make Directorial Debut on Horror Film ‘Howl’

Comic, actor, writer, and producer Kumail Nanjiani (Eternals, The Big Sick) will soon add directing to his resume — and, like several comedians before him, he’s looking to start with horror.

Speaking with the Comedy Means Business podcast, Nanjiani revealed that he will make his directorial debut on the genre film Howl.

“[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. That’s kind of how it happened. I just read the right the thing,” Nanjiani explains.

“The first thing I want to do is a genre thing. Emily [V. Gordon, wife] and I are huge genre fans. We watch every sci-fi movie. We watch every horror movie,” Nanjiani continues.

“It wasn’t like I was specifically looking to direct a horror movie or anything; it was just this movie. I get this movie. It’s got a very specific tone, and I was like, ‘I see this tone in my head. I know exactly how this should be.’”

Nanjiani acknowledges that he’s following in the footsteps of other comedians-turned-horror filmmakers.

“Obviously there’s a been a lot of comedians pivoting into making horror movies recently, and it’s been successful,” he says. “Obviously Jordan Peele, Josh Ruben, Zach Cregger, all these people come from comedy and have made great horror. So I think that their track record has helped me a little bit in making this pivot.”

Plot details remain under wraps, but Howl is aiming to enter production next year.

Winter Coat Films, the production company Nanjiani launched last year with Gordon and producer Dani Melia (The Farewell), is expected to produce.

Nanjiani can next be seen in “Fallout” Season 2, premiering tomorrow on Prime Video.

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