Blumhouse, the horror juggernaut, used its first-ever “Business of Fear” press event not only to celebrate its 15th anniversary but also to announce some exciting new projects on its slate. A sequel to the 2019 revenge thriller Ma, was among them. While Academy Award-winner Octavia Spencer is set to reprise her role as Sue Ann Ellington in the sequel, the project is still in development and currently does not have a director attached, nor a release date on Blumhouse’s packed calendar. The film, which grossed $61 million against its $5 million budget, was an undeniable success for the company, which has spent the past 15 years diversifying and deepening the horror space in entertainment.
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The original film, directed by Tate Taylor — who also worked with Spencer on her Oscar vehicle The Help — follows Sue Ann, a lonely veterinarian with a vice for partying. Sue Ann befriends a group of teenagers, who affectionately call her “Ma,” yet when she allows them to party at her house, things take a turn that leaves the teens questioning Ma’s intentions. In a statement announcing the sequel, Blumhouse CEO Jason Blum said, “Ma likes to say ‘don’t make me drink alone,’ so we’re thrilled Octavia will join us again for a second round.”
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Ma’s Meme-ability Fueled Its Sequel
While having an Oscar winner star in one’s film and a hit at the box office is all well and good, Ma‘s instant status as a cult classic likely informed Blumhouse’s decision to greenlight a sequel. Though Ma was a spine-chilling thriller, the film inspired a multitude of parody memes since its release over six years ago.
Instead of trying to fight the comedic slant audiences have given Ma, the filmmakers have embraced it.
“Ma has proven to be a social phenomenon since its release in 2019, with fans eagerly embracing the film and Octavia’s iconic performance as Ma,” Jason Blum mentioned in his sequel announcement statement, confirming that not only is Blumhouse away of the film’s second life on line, but that his team is eager to capitalize on it.
Octavia Spencer, Ma herself, welcomed the film’s surprising virality. She went as far to hold a parody poster contest in 2020, and awarded several prizes to creators who inserted Ma into the posters of various iconic films.
Ma made a return to the big screen when the film was selected as part of Blumhouse’s “Halfway to Halloween” theatrical event last month. Blumhouse hits Annabelle and M3GAN were also selected for the limited engagement, which included sneak peeks and exclusive recorded messages from directors and talent from the films. Given that both Annabelle and M3GAN have had sequels made, perhaps the announcement for a second Ma film shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise.
We’re still left to wonder if Spencer’s character will reconnect with the teens she tortured in the first film, or if Ma 2 will revolve around a new group of people who have allegedly wronged Spencer’s now iconic character.
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Image Courtesy of The WB Television Network -
Image Courtesy of DC Studios.
