Almost ten years ago, horror fans were presented to It Follows, an independent movie that quickly earned a cult following due to its different premise. The title was right to the point: Once a curse was passed from one person to another, they ended up getting followed by “it” until they finally got killed. And it’s about to follow us again: Today, Neon announced that the movie’s sequel, titled They Follow, is officially a go and production starts in 2024.
The two most surprising pieces of information that we have so far is that both director David Robert Mitchell (The Myth of the American Sleepover) and lead star Maika Monroe (God is a Bullet) are returning. Mitchell‘s return as director and writer is an excellent sign, which suggests that the sequel’s concept and development is at the hands of the person who created it. Since horror sequels tend to get out of control — especially after they become too popular — the director’s continuous involvement signals to fans that we should still be interested.
On the other hand, fans kind of hoped that Maika Monroe‘s character Jay would be able to live a somewhat curse-free life after the ending of It Follows, but apparently, it will come back to haunt her. The title, They Follow, suggests that there’s a new development that we might not know about, but since the cameras haven’t started rolling and no official synopsis has been released, for now, we can only speculate and wait until more information is available.
‘They Follow’ Should Have The Same Creepy Energy of ‘It Follows’
One thing we can expect to see and feel again, however, is the atmospheric energy that Mitchell was able to create with It Follows. One of the most disturbing aspects of the movie was that “it” took physical form, but it wasn’t like other horror killers — it quietly walked in the direction of its victims with no rush at all, which only increased the sense of despair and helped viewers quickly associate the curse with death itself.
The cast of It Follows also features Keir Gilchrist (Atypical), Olivia Luccardi (East New York), Daniel Zovatto (Station Eleven), Jake Weary (How to Blow Up a Pipeline), and Lily Sepe (The Intruder).
Further details from They Follow are yet to be announced, including additional cast members and a release window. However, it seems likely that Neon would go for a 2024 release date since it marks the 10-year anniversary of the first movie.
You can stream It Follows on Netflix or Paramount+ in the U.S.
via Collider