The Strangers Is Getting Three More Sequels, Production Begins Soon
Horror fans, particularly those who enjoy the home invasion subgenre, are in for some unexpected (but likely welcome) news. "The Strangers," the 2008 real-life inspired modern genre classic from director Brian Bertino, is getting not just one, but three more sequels. This, according to producer Roy Lee, who recently revealed some rather intriguing information regarding the future of the franchise.
Lee was speaking with Bloody Disgusting in honor of his upcoming movie "Barbarian," which hits theaters next month. During the chat, it was revealed that 2018's "The Strangers: Prey at Night" wasn't the last we've seen of the franchise's trio of masked killers — not by a long shot. According to Lee, we're getting three sequels, with production gearing up in September. Lee had this to say about it:
"I think the next three are in production next month with another filmmaker that people will know."
Intriguing indeed, though it is a shame Lee didn't have anything further to offer yet. Even one sequel would be a kind of big deal four years removed from "Prey at Night." But a full trilogy? Whatever mystery filmmaker they've got behind the camera must have something big in mind, and it must have impressed the brass at the studio enough to press ahead with these ambitious plans.
We have so many questions
Naturally, this leaves us with a great many questions. First and foremost, who is this filmmaker that Lee is hinting at? Bertino directed the original and Johannes Roberts ("47 Meters Down") helmed the sequel. The producer is indicating that a new filmmaker will be taking the reins, possibly for all three of these sequels. Beyond that, one has to imagine there is a plan for these three films, maybe even something akin to what was done with the "Fear Street" trilogy that premiered on Netflix last year. Could there already be a deal in place with a streaming service? Much remains uncertain.
What we can say for sure is that both previous entries in the franchise performed well. "The Strangers" earned $83 million worldwide against a reported $9 million budget (not to mention $17 million in domestic Blu-ray and DVD sales), while "The Strangers: Prey at Night" made $32 million against a $5 million budget. Those are solid returns, and certainly the kind of money that leads to a sequel. It's just peculiar that those numbers led to the studio tripling down in this case.
The new "Strangers" sequels do not have official release dates yet, but production gets underway this September.