Blumhouse has built plenty of franchises from opening-weekend success, but this sequel (in development) exists because a modest 2019 thriller became much larger after leaving theaters. The original film was made for roughly $5 million and went on to rake in $61.2 million worldwide, already making it highly profitable, then found a second audience during the pandemic through repeated streaming-chart appearances.
The first film appeared to close its story decisively. Sue Ann Ellington’s (Octavia Spencer) revenge campaign ends with the house burning around her, so bringing the character back in the sequel requires more than simply repeating another group of teenagers, another basement, and the same manipulation. The sequel’s challenge is to preserve the mix of psychological damage, social humiliation, camp, and sudden violence that made the original so replayable while explaining how Sue Ann returns and what could push her into a second campaign.
The movie is Ma 2, and Spencer, in an interview with ScreenRant, says the team is “working very diligently” on the screenplay because they want to “do it right.” Spencer is officially returning as Sue Ann, while Ashley Nicole Black is writing the sequel. Blumhouse CEO Jason Blum previously confirmed that the company viewed the original’s streaming success and meme-driven popularity as proof that the character had become a genuine cultural phenomenon.
‘Ma’ Became a Meme Through Poster Parodies, Quotes, and Octavia Spencer Herself
The meme culture around Ma was built from the film’s unusually adaptable title and Sue Ann’s most theatrical moments. Fans began editing her into awards-season posters and famous movie titles, producing jokes such as Ma Ma Land, Roma, Ma Star Is Born, The Irishma, The Greatest Show Ma, and Mad Ma: Fury Road. Other posts reused Spencer peering through a car window, her strict basement rules, and the instantly recognizable line, “Don’t make me drink alone.” The trend became large enough that Spencer herself reposted fan creations, promoted the #MaMemes tag, and launched a contest for the best entry.
It appears all that has synergized toward this sequel that’s now in development. There are no further updates or a release date for Ma 2 for now.
via Collider