Fear Street Director Teases Trilogy Influenced by Scream, Halloween, and The New World

The Fear Street series of novels from author R.L. Stine explored all manner of horrors, with director Leigh Janiak similarly aiming to capture a variety of tones and themes when it came to developing a trilogy of films inspired by the books, resulting in a diverse group of influences on the endeavor. Janiak detailed how, with each film unfolding in a different time period, she aimed to honor iconic horror films from those eras, while also drawing influences from an unexpected filmmaker. Fear Street Part 1: 1994 debuts on July 2nd, Fear Street Part 2: 1978 debuts on July 9th, and Fear Street Part 3: 1666 debuts on July 16th.

“As a filmmaker making Fear Street, but also just as a movie lover, I was so excited to pay homage to some of the great eras of horror movies,” Janiak shared in a statement. “For 1994, Scream stood above all rest — it’s peak ’90s horror and, I think, one of the most brilliant movies ever made, period. Then for 1978, I got to look at the heyday of slasher films — Friday the 13th, Halloween, Nightmare on Elm Street. For 1666…I found the best inspiration for me lay in the beautiful world made rotten of Terence Malick’s The New World.”

Given how little fans have known about the trilogy, Janiak using these touchstones to develop the films will surely excite fans, especially knowing how The New World is more of a historical drama than a horror film. However, that film will surely embrace plenty of unsettling concepts, making for a unique experience.

Netflix describes the films as follows:

• Fear Street Part 1: 1994
  • A circle of teenage friends accidentally encounters the ancient evil responsible for a series of brutal murders that have plagued their town for over 300 years. Welcome to Shadyside.
• Fear Street Part 2: 1978
  • Shadyside, 1978. School’s out for summer and the activities at Camp Nightwing are about to begin. But when another Shadysider is possessed with the urge to kill, the fun in the sun becomes a gruesome fight for survival.
• Fear Street Part 3: 1666
  • The origins of Sarah Fier’s curse are finally revealed as history comes full circle on a night that changes the lives of Shadysiders forever.

Fear Street Part 1: 1994 debuts on July 2nd, Fear Street Part 2: 1978 debuts on July 9th, and Fear Street Part 3: 1666 debuts on July 16th.

Are you looking forward to the new films? Let us know in the comments below or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to talk all things Star Wars and horror!