The Strangers Trilogy Could Get Massive, Extended Release as One Experience

The 2008 horror movie The Strangers is being revived as a trilogy of films by director Renny Harlin, who filmed all three films during one extended production. In honor of the sprawling nature of the core storyline, the filmmaker recently confirmed that there have been talks of developing a massive, extended cut of the experience that will unite all three chapters of the nightmare, though these talks haven’t been solidified. Given the evolving nature of the home video market, if that complete trilogy doesn’t earn a theatrical release, the story could be unified for a home video opportunity. The Strangers: Chapter 1 is set to hit theaters on May 17th.

In Variety‘s preview of the new films, the outlet noted, “For fans who want the four-and-a-half-hour director’s cut, there’s a very real chance it could happen once the trilogy finishes,” while Lionsgate’s Geobert Abboud detailed that there is “some version of that we’ve discussed at a high level that we’d like to see at some point.”

Harlin himself added, “It’s in our heads. This is definitely what we want to do. We want to cut together the full arc. We know exactly how to do it, then we’ll create a movie and see who are those diehard fans who will come to the movie theater for four and a half hours. I don’t know if we need to have an intermission so people can get some food and go to the bathroom, but I definitely want to have that event and see if people take four and a half hours of dread and fear and terror and despair.”

Production on the trilogy has been completed, though it’s currently unknown when the next two chapters in the series could be released.

The movie is described, “From master director Renny Harlin (Cliffhanger, Die Hard 2, The Exorcist: The Beginning) comes a new trilogy of terror. In Chapter I, Madelaine Petsch (TV’s Riverdale) stars as a young woman starting a new life with her fiancé. Suddenly, during a road trip stop in a remote vacation rental in the woods, they become the prey of a mysterious gang of masked strangers who attack without warning or reason. What begins as a fight to stay alive becomes one woman’s journey of courage and cunning in this horror series bridging three compelling films.”   

The Strangers: Chapter 1 is set to hit theaters on May 17th.

Are you looking forward to the trilogy? Contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter or on Instagram to talk all things Star Wars and horror!