Scott Derrickson Returning To Horror After 'Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness'

Before he directed Marvel's magical hit Doctor Strange in 2016, Scott Derrickson was a well-known name in the horror community, having shot to fame with films like The Exorcism of Emily Rose and Sinister. But it has been four years since Derrickson has directed a horror film and fans had been wondering whether he intended to return to the genre at all. But Derrickson is here to ease their fears: he's already got a horror movie lined up — after he wraps up Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

Derrickson shot to fame with The Exorcism of Emily Rose, a 2005 film loosely based on the true story of Anneliese Michel which Derrickson co-wrote that went on to make $144 million worldwide. It was an auspicious start to a horror career for Derrickson, who would go on to direct Sinister and Deliver Us From Evil. Then, unexpectedly, Marvel came a-knocking. Derrickson would direct the 2016 hit Doctor Strange, and has remained somewhat in limbo waiting for the green light for Doctor Strange 2, which was officially announced at San Diego Comic-Con this summer. But in that four-year gap, fans wondered if Derrickson would return to the genre that first gave him success. Derrickson, who has long had an active social media presence, answered in the affirmative on Twitter.

"I'm often asked if I'll ever return to R-rated horror. The answer is a resounding YES," Derrickson wrote on Twitter. "After Doctor Strange: In the Mutiverse of Madness, I'll go straight into a horror film I've already written with [C. Robert Cargill]."

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is actually being billed as Marvel's "first horror movie," which could be a nice segue as Derrickson heads back into the more hardcore stuff. It's unknown what his next horror film will be, but Derrickson is slated to next adapt Stephen King's The Breathing Method for Jason Blum's Blumhouse Pictures. It hasn't yet been reported that C. Robert Cargill is attached to The Breathing Method, but it's not a surprise that Derrickson would bring him on board. Cargill co-wrote Sinister and Sinister 2 with Derrickson, and the two reunited for 2016's Doctor Strange.Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is slated to hit theaters on May 7, 2021.