Fear Street: Netflix Exec Confirms New Standalone Movie Is in the Works

A new installment in the franchise is officially on the way.

By Patrick Cavanaugh

Ever since the Fear Street trilogy of films was released on Netflix in the summer of 2021, fans have heard rumors about more installments in the franchise being developed, with Netflix's Head of Film Scott Stuber confirming that a new entry is being developed. While Fear Street: 1994, Fear Street: 1978, and Fear Street: 1666 were filmed during an extended production period and told an interconnected story, Stuber teased that the storyline being developed was an isolated tale that wouldn't necessarily connect to that trilogy. Stuber also expressed how he hopes he can help bring about an iconic horror villain for the streamer that has yet to emerge from their previous efforts.

"Obviously, there's a lot of books," Stuber shared with Collider about the franchise's future. "There's one standalone that we're working on right now that we're once again trying to get the script right, but I like it very much, and so does the team. So I feel like if we can get that script right there would be a great kind of extension of that franchise."

All three Fear Street films were directed by Leigh Janiak, with rumors previously claiming that Watcher director Chloe Okuno was developing a Fear Street film. Based on the long-running series of novels from author R.L. Stine, rather than being a direct adaptation of specific stories from the franchise, the previous trilogy of films aimed to instead honor the spirit of the source material while incorporating references and Easter eggs to the books. 

While the previous trilogy of films were released a week apart from one another, marking for a unique Netflix event, it happened during the coronavirus pandemic and at a time in which movie theaters hadn't fully returned to pre-COVID attendance levels. Stuber addressed how horror, unlike other genres, is a theater-going experience. He also noted how, while Netflix has developed many successful horror projects, they haven't crafted an iconic villain quite yet.

"I think there are two complexities to it; one, it's an event right now in theaters, right? It's a communal event that really is working theatrically, and so for us to be able to get the right stories, I think it's imperative, and to be a little more aggressive in that space," the executive expressed. "If you look at its history, which I love horror, I'd like us to find our own Freddy Krueger, our own Jason [Voorhees], our own kind of iconic horror character, and we haven't really honed in on that yet. So the team is working hard on that because I think there's a real opportunity there. You know, you've got so many great characters."

He added, "Every Halloween, basically, I look and go, 'Okay, there's 20 great characters to pick from. We should be making those movies.'"

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Stay tuned for updates on the future of the Fear Street franchise.

Are you excited that another installment is on the way? Let us know in the comments or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to talk all things Star Wars and horror! 

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