The Guest 2 Might Actually Get Made, Thanks To That April Fools' Day Soundtrack [UPDATE]

Okay, you know what? I take it back. Maybe April Fool's Day isn't as bad as I've always thought it was. It's still a lowest common denominator "holiday" that only people with the absolute worst senses of humor get a kick out of, mind you, but at least it apparently has its advantages.

Before director Adam Wingard smashed Godzilla and King Kong together like two action figures in the aptly-titled "Godzilla vs. Kong," or directed the one-two punch of the "Blair Witch" sequel and "Death Note," he directed the 2014 thriller "The Guest." Starring Dan Stevens as the eponymous character who crashes with the family of his dearly departed war buddy and immediately sets everyone on edge with a lethal dose of charm, good looks, and a propensity towards psychopathic violence that's just visible behind his piercing eyes, the low-budget but stylish film immediately gained a cult following and has had fans clamoring for a sequel ever since ... and we're still waiting.

This past April 1, "The Guest" producer Keith Calder rekindled the discourse around that grave injustice by cheekily debuting an official soundtrack for that nonexistent sequel. In the spirit of that obnoxious day, we all begrudgingly laughed at the fun little prank, daydreamed about how cool a sequel would be, accepted that the odds of that ever coming to fruition were pretty low, and then went on with our lives. But maybe we were all a bit hasty.

While nothing official is in the works just yet, Wingard is stirring things up by raising the possibility that a sequel could eventually happen — and we have may that soundtrack to thank for it.

As much as Dan Stevens gets all the credit for "The Guest," we'd be remiss not to praise the excellent work Maika Monroe does as the Final Girl of the film. Doused with neon lighting, blasted by a percussive soundtrack, and truly put through the wringer against a man who is far more sinister than anyone could've expected, Monroe plays off of Stevens flawlessly and both characters narrowly make it to the end of the runtime intact. Could a sequel pick up on those dangling threads and continue the story? Well, Wingard isn't ruling out this possibility.

In an interview with Empire, the director sure seems to have taken notice of the very vocal fans of "The Guest" in the aftermath of that April Fool's soundtrack release. Referencing that stunt, Wingard details how it might've actually served as the impetus to get the sequel off the ground.

"It's really pushed me and Simon [Barrett, writer] into a creative headspace. We're talking about develop[ing] a potential sequel as a real project."

It's not much in the way of new information, granted, but it's a start! Mentioning that Stevens would apparently "love to do it," Wingard goes on to say that a sequel wouldn't necessarily take the form of another film. "Maybe the more interesting thing isn't doing a sequel to 'The Guest.' Maybe it's doing a limited series, something we could really sink our teeth into."

Update: Barrett chimed in on Twitter with some of his own thoughts.

This is true, I'll admit the response to the soundtrack surprised me. I think we've finally landed on an idea that excites us and wouldn't disappoint everyone, but it won't be soon. Lots to work on first. https://t.co/5dTXtx6F7d

— Simon Barrett (@Simon_Barrett) May 11, 2022

Personally, I would be all for another tense, lean, and tightly-wound thriller that followed Stevens' trained killer wreaking havoc wherever he goes next after the events of the original. Hell, maybe even bring Maika Monroe back for another showdown if she's not too busy. The possibilities are endless, thanks to the strong foundation laid down in the movie that Wingard calls "...my favourite movie that I've made. It feels like the one that I was able to project the most of myself into."

Hopefully Wingard and Barrett's schedules will allow the stars to align for this "The Guest" sequel that we've all been waiting for. If not, well, at least we'll always have that thoroughly entertaining film.