Kumail Nanjiani (Eternals, The Big Sick) is making his directorial debut with 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.’”

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.