As expected, A24 is once again collaborating with Danny and Michael Philippou for the follow-up to this year’s surprise summer smash horror film, Talk to Me. The upcoming movie, titled Talk 2 Me will feature a screenplay by Danny Philippou and Bill Hinzman, with direction from both Danny and Michael Philippou. The news of a sequel, given the film’s success, is no surprise or accident. Before the film opened in theaters, Danny Philippou told Deadline that given his redrafts, he couldn’t help “but start writing other scenes, scenes of different people experiencing the hands, continuing on these characters’ story. So, there’s scenes for a sequel, yeah.”

A24 acquired the Australian horror film from Sundance‘s Midnight section for a substantial sum in the high seven figures. The movie has achieved a remarkable $22 million in domestic box office earnings up until yesterday, standing as one of the studio’s most lucrative horror films to date. In its initial 11 days, Talk to Me is outperforming the cumulative earnings of Ari Aster‘s Midsommar ($17.3 million) and has already surpassed the final domestic revenue of last summer’s Bodies Bodies Bodies ($11.4 million). It’s poised to soon exceed the U.S. earnings of Robert Eggers’ The Witch ($25.4 million). The film’s current performance lags just behind A24‘s highest-earning horror film, Hereditary which concluded its domestic run at $44 million.

The film was met with extremely strong write-ups out of the gate, with Collider‘s Chase Hutchison giving the movie a B+ in his review, adding:

Sometimes, horror can be downright nasty. This doesn’t just refer to the gore, but the way it is all used. In Talk To Me, the feature debut from YouTubers turned directors Danny and Michael Philippou, possession becomes a way by which to pulverize their characters. It is these moments that are the highlights of the experience in all their stomach-churning viscera. As they get more outrageous, it comes at the audience with brutal and bloody cinematic madness that makes the most of the chaos that unfolds before you.

Prequels and Sequels

A sequel isn’t the only thing the directors have in the works. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, however, they revealed that they already have an entire prequel filmed that focuses on brothers Cole (Ari McCarthy) and Duckett (Sunny Johnson).

Collider will have updates on Talk 2 Me as and when they become available. Talk to Me is currently playing in theaters.

via Collider