Directing Insidious: Fear The Dark Is A 'Natural Progression' For Franchise Star Patrick Wilson

The "Insidious" films have charted an unusual course. Where the first two entries in "Saw" creators James Wan and Leigh Whannell's supernatural horror franchise tell a two-part story about the Lambert family and their dealings with the demonic residents of The Further, the third and fourth chapters wind the clock back to focus on demonologist Elise Rainier and her own Further-related hijinks prior to being called upon to save the young Dalton Lambert. Together, however, they form a complete circle in terms of the timeline, with the fourth chapter, "The Last Key," ending where it all began (more or less).

While it remains to be seen if the property ever pays off the ending to "Insidious: Chapter 2" (which teased a deceased Elise's ghost-busting escapades with her dorky associates Specs and Tucker), 2023's "Insidious: Fear the Dark" will pick up with the Lamberts 10 years after Dalton's father Josh rescued his astral-projected spirit from where it was imprisoned in The Further ... only to briefly end up with a bad case of ghostly possession himself. Ty Simpkins and Patrick Wilson will reprise their respective roles as Dalton and Josh in the sequel, with Rose Byrne also returning as the Lambert family matriarch Renai.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about "Fear the Dark" so far is that it will double as Wilson's feature directing debut. "We [Byrne and Wilson] have a very natural ease," Byrne told Collider. "He's very down to earth. He's got kids and a family, and he's such a pro." She noted that Wilson has also long served as Wan's "muse," with Wan having directed him in multiple "Insidious" and "Conjuring" films, along with "Aquaman" and its upcoming sequel. As such, she felt Wilson sitting in the director's chair on "Fear the Dark" made for a "natural progression."

Say what you will about the quality of the "Insidious" films, but each of them has managed to put a different spin on the first movie's haunted house premise. The later chapters have even brought a greater depth to the franchise, using the fantastical conceit of The Further to address thorny topics like child abuse and mental trauma in a refreshingly sensitive manner. Speaking to Collider, Rose Byrne said Patrick Wilson has been doing his part to ensure "Insidious: Fear the Dark" delivers the goods in that regard:

"He really worked so hard on the script for a long time. We had the pandemic, obviously, but we started talking about it, I think it was in 2019, I honestly do, before we actually shot it. So he was already really working hard on it then."

Timeline hopping aside, going from "Insidious: Chapter 3" and "The Last Key" — which shine a light on both Elise's physical and emotional scars from her abusive childhood and, later, her career battling demons — to "Fear the Dark" makes thematic sense, with the latter set to examine the lingering effects of the Lambert clan's initial encounter with the residents of The Further. "He [Wilson] really wanted to make it about the origin story, about the original cast, about those characters, and the effect on the family," Byrne explained. Don't expect a total re-invention of the franchise in other respects, either, as Byrne indicated Wilson's approach included delving "into the classic horror stuff, and all the tropes and all of the things the fans love, to give the fans what they want, too."

"Insidious: Fear the Darkness" is scheduled to open in theaters on July 7, 2023.