It Follows Sequel They Follow Will Bring Back Original Director And Star

Ever get that feeling that something's creeping up right behind you? Eh, don't worry about it, I'm sure it's nothing. Nothing, that is, except the news that one of the freakiest horror movies ever made is about to get a long-awaited sequel.

Back in 2015, writer/director David Robert Mitchell unleashed the tense and quietly terrifying "It Follows" upon unsuspecting viewers. Critics hailed it as an instant classic (including /Film, reviewing the film out of its AFI Fest premiere in 2014) while audiences ate it up and asked for seconds, helping the very responsibly-budgeted horror flick make more than 20 times its cost during its theatrical run. It was, by all reasonable metrics, an unmitigated success and the unofficial beginning of star Maika Monroe's ascension to genuine scream queen territory. Now, almost a decade later, indie-friendly studio Neon is throwing their distribution and production muscle behind a sequel, titled "They Follow."

The news comes straight from Neon and just in time for Halloween, as the studio has announced that writer/director David Robert Mitchell will return along with Maika Monroe, who reprises her role as Jay Height. Original "It Follows" producers David Kaplan, Erik Rommesmo, Rebecca Green, and Laura Smith (along with Mitchell himself) are all creatively involved once again, bringing a strong sense of continuity to the production. Thrillingly enough, principal photography is set to begin at an unspecified date in 2024, no doubt helped by the conclusion of the WGA strike and (fingers crossed) the imminent resolution of the SAG-AFTRA strike. 

What do you do after you narrowly survive some sort of disturbing, supernatural entity following your every step after a casual sexual encounter? Well, obviously you sign up for another feature-length heart attack of a movie to relive those experiences all over again. The legacy of "It Follows" is alive and well with the news that it has finally led to a proper sequel, chillingly titled "They Follow." The news is another welcome success story for low-budget original horror, which has proven to be one of the most reliable box-office earners around for several years running. (Although based on a pre-existing IP, look no further than our most recent example: the breakthrough success of "Five Nights at Freddy's.")

"It Follows" quickly established itself as a cinematic event that went beyond horror fandom. Maika Monroe was able to leverage her star power to kickstart a thriving career with a particular focus on horror, going on to star in excellent movies like "The Guest," "Watcher," "Significant Other," and more. As for filmmaker David Robert Mitchell, he went on to create the Film Twitter favorite "Under the Silver Lake" starring Andrew Garfield, Riley Keough, and Topher Grace. The press release for "They Follow" also dropped the tidbit that Mitchell is "currently in development on an Untitled Warner Bros. and Bad Robot project with Anne Hathaway."

No release date for "They Follow" has yet been announced, but you can be sure that /Film will be keeping a very close eye on any updates for this highly-anticipated sequel.