Blumhouse has locked down the cast and filming start date for its horror movie sequel, Happy Death Day 2. Happy Death Day director Christopher Landon already had an idea in mind for a followup before the film hit theaters and will return to helm the sequel from his own screenplay. What exactly that idea is remains a mystery for now, though Happy Death Day star Jessica Rothe previously described Landon’s proposed sequel as a “Back to the Future type of genre film” with more than a dash of horror.
The first Happy Death Day was part of a string of horror film hits for Blumhouse in 2017. Rothe starred in the film as Theresa “Tree” Gelbman, a college student who is murdered on her birthday and finds herself reliving the day over and over again thereafter, Groundhog Day-style (or, if you prefer a more recent example, Edge of Tomorrow-style). While the movie ended with Theresa breaking the loop by stopping her would-be killer, it didn’t actually explain what caused the time loop in the first place. Landon has indicated that the sequel will address that issue, among other questions left lingering by the first movie.
Deadline is reporting that Happy Death Day 2 is set to begin filming on May 10, which is slightly different than the May 14 start date previously reported. Rothe will reprise her role in the sequel along with Israel Broussard, who played Theresa’s romantic interest Carter Davis in the first movie. Other confirmed Happy Death Day 2 cast members so far include Suraj Sharma (Life of Pi) and Sarah Yorkin (Foursome) as science geek Samar Ghosh and his partner in scientific crime, Dre Morgan.
Happy Death Day 2 doesn’t have a release date yet, but its May start date points towards a 2019 theatrical release. Blumhouse has already staked out release dates for untitled films in May 2019 and October 2019, either of which are realistic possibilities for the Happy Death Day sequel. The first movie came out in mid-October last year and certainly benefitted from the heightened interest in horror fare around Halloween at the box office. As such, Blumhouse could be planning to release the sequel in its October 18, 2019 slot, in the hope of lightning striking twice.
Obviously, Halloween wasn’t the only factor that worked in the first Happy Death Day’s favor commercially. Rothe was generally praised for her performance and the movie was similarly celebrated for offering a unique mashup of elements (sci-fi, horror, comedy), setting it apart from more generic slasher horror fare. The sequel is an iffier prospect, based on Blumhouse’s track record with horror film sequels that attempt to explain their predecessor’s mythology (see Insidious: Chapter 2 and Sinister 2). Still, Happy Death Day 2 may yet have better luck in that endeavor.
MORE: Happy Death Day’s Alternate Ending is Really Dark
We will let you know when Happy Death Day 2 gets a release date.
Source: Deadline
