Nightmare Cinema Filmmaker Confirms Sequel Being Developed

Filmmaker Mick Garris is no stranger to bringing together some of the best visions in horror, having enlisted the likes of John Carpenter, Dario Argento, and Takashi Miike for the Showtime series Masters of Horror, with one of his most recent projects, Nightmare Cinema, similarly enlisting an international slate of filmmakers to deliver audiences their own perception of terror for the anthology experience. Garris recently confirmed that plans are underway for the anthology to get another installment, once again bringing together filmmakers from all over the world and even having one script for the project completed, though the coronavirus pandemic has seen progress on the sequel stagnate.

“We were in the early stages. One of the scripts has written, we’ve talked to a couple of directors, but then the pandemic knocked the wind out of our sails,” Garris confirmed to ComicBook.com. “We were making progress and the skids came on hard. Nobody knows when production is going to be back or where in the world to do it. Nightmare Cinema was always intended to be a showcase for international filmmakers, and the idea of making segments of them in different parts of the world is strong. And maybe some of those places on the planet will be more conducive more quickly to having production take place there. But really, the skids came on and have not come off yet, but I would love to see that happen.”

He added, “And the concept of Nightmare Cinema, aside from being international, was originally to do it as a series of feature films. But the anthology format played really well for the film and a barrage of very, very different stories, both cinematically and content-wise was thrilling to me again, to have a Japanese director, a British director, a Cuban director, and two American directors making their token appearances. It’s just a really exciting concept to me.”

In the original film, a series of down-on-their-luck individuals enter the decrepit and spine-chilling Rialto theater, only to have their deepest and darkest fears brought to life on the silver screen by The Projectionist (Mickey Rourke) – a mysterious, ghostly figure who holds the nightmarish futures of all who attend his screenings. By the time our patrons realize the truth, escape is no longer an option. For once the ticket is torn, their fate is sealed at Nightmare Cinema.

As we await details on a Nightmare Cinema sequel, fans can check out Garris’ new book, These Evil Things We Do, which is available in paperback and Kindle from Amazon. Signed copies are available from Dark Delicacies and Overlook Connection. You can also check out Garris’ podcast, Post Mortem, in which he interviews prominent figures in the world of horror.

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