A24's Most Terrifying Horror Movie Could Be Getting A Prequel - But Not Anytime Soon

Ari Aster made an unforgettable debut with his 2018 film "Hereditary," which remains one of the most uniquely terrifying mainstream horrors of the past few decades. Now, it looks as though we might all be treated to yet more indelible terror as Aster has written a prequel. Unfortunately — or perhaps mercifully — we won't be seeing this "Hereditary" precursor for some time.

A24 is responsible for some of the best horror movies of the modern age. This is the studio that gave us the uniquely unsettling "Under the Skin" and introduced us all to Robert Eggers with "The Witch." Even the excellent yet underseen horror that was 2024's "I Saw the TV Glow" stands as one of the most interesting and ahead-of-its time entries in the genre. But none of these movies caused the kind of psychic trauma that Aster's "Hereditary" managed to inflict. The film's often overwhelming sense of foreboding felt positively claustrophobic at times, especially since it was punctuated by some of the most upsetting images to appear in a mainstream movie of the 2010s. Now, it looks like Aster could add to our collective trauma.

According to Gold Derby, the director revealed during a recent post-"Hereditary" screening Q&A that he has a prequel ready to go. "I wrote a prequel to this," said the director. "It never feels like the right time. It's a prequel, not a sequel so I don't know where this goes." Seeing as "Hereditary" arguably remains Aster's most well-known work, it seems slightly odd that he would struggle to find the right time to return to that world behind the camera. But with horror continuing to see success at the box office, surely the world is ready for more "Hereditary."

Since "Hereditary," Ari Aster has made "Midsommar," "Beau is Afraid," and 2025's most divisive, provocative, and infuriating movie, "Eddington." While "Midsommar" almost matched "Hereditary" in terms of how deeply it disturbed audiences, the director's last two projects have been more complex films that were harder to categorize. Aster's next project will be "Scapegoat," which is set to star Scarlett Johansson in a film that remains somewhat of a mystery at this point. No doubt Johansson's presence will help boost its appeal among mass audiences, but there are surely many fans who can't wait to see Aster return to horror — which is just as well, because the genre is having a moment.

Not to say that horror hasn't always been a reliably popular box office draw, but the recent success of Kane Parsons' "Backrooms" and the way in which Curry Barker's "Obsession" did something at the box office no horror film has done before suggests now might just be the time for Aster to dip back into the genre with which he made his name — perhaps with a "Hereditary" sequel? The director acknowledged both movies during his Q&A comments, saying:

"This is a really interesting month with Curry and Kane. I hadn't seen Kane's shorts until 'Backrooms' came out. He's really interesting. He's 20 years old and what he's been doing on Blender, I think he's clearly following a vision. I'm thrilled to see that. That's so exciting."

It's not exactly a commitment to releasing his "Hereditary" prequel, but at least Aster is aware of what's going on in the horror space. Hopefully it prompts him to think about perhaps unleashing what is sure to be yet another nightmarish vision of family drama through the lens of supernatural horror.