The Strangers Reportedly Has Three Sequels on the Way
The 2008 slasher The Strangers is widely considered a defining entry in the home-invasion subgenre of horror, which went on to earn the 2018 sequel The Strangers: Prey at Night, with a new report claiming that there are three sequels in the franchise that are all heading into development. Given that the first entry was more of a cult success than a financial triumph, and with the release of the follow-up being somewhat underwhelming, this news will surely come as a surprise to audiences, though given the effectiveness of both films, it will be exciting news for horror fanatics.
When the topic of The Strangers came up with Bloody Disgusting's The Boo Crew Podcast, producer Roy Lee confessed, "I think the next three are in production next month with another filmmaker that people will know."
The original film sees a couple being tormented by masked figures who, when pressed about why they were attacking the couple, claimed, "Because you were home." In the sequel, a similarly chaotic experience unfolds as a group of masked maniacs terrorizes a family in a trailer park for no rhyme or reason.
Knowing that any sequel is in development, let alone three, let alone three that are reportedly moving forward all at the same time is sure to spark speculation among fans about what this means for the franchise. It's entirely unknown if all three of these films will be shot simultaneously or if we can expect three different stories from one filmmaker overseeing three productions.
Part of what makes the events of the films so unsettling is that writer/director of the original film Bryan Bertino brought together a blend of true-life events for the disturbing narrative.
"When I was a kid, I read Helter Skelter. I went off to this small town to stay with my grandmother and my dad -- I have no idea why -- said, 'Hey, do you want to read a book while you're gone?' And he gives me Helter Skelter which is definitely big boy reading," Bertino shared back in 2008. "Even now, what grabs me, even now, is that it's not the section about who Charles Manson or what was going on with the family. I was thinking about the Tate murders and realizing that these detailed descriptions had painted a story of what it was like in the house with the victims. But none of the victims knew about the Manson family or why it was happening to them. So, I got really fascinated with telling the victims' tale. And not filling it in with an FBI profile and not filling it in with finding out that somebody's grandmother beat them and now they want to kill everybody. You read obituaries every day where someone is killed for a random reason. Yes, we may eventually find out why, but sometimes they don't."
He added, "As a writer, there wasn't anything I wanted James to do that I felt that I could do. There was no amount of bravery. I tried to do a gut check. When we made the movie, Scott [Speedman] tried to do a gut check. Just how brave would I be? I didn't want this movie to be about what would you wish you would do as much as what would you do?"
Stay tuned for details on the future of The Strangers.
Are you looking forward to more sequels? Let us know in the comments or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to talk all things horror and Star Wars!
