The slasher flick throwback The Strangers managed to slice and dice its way through expectations this summer and turn quite a profit for the smash n’ grab-sounding Rogue Pictures. We all know that Horror Hit = Horror sequel, right? Actually, Horror Miss = Horror sequel, usually. If you ever stroll through he aisles of your local Blockbuster (and I’m sorry if you do), horror DVDs seem to just pop into existence while you are browsing. So, the sometimes dread-soaked flick is getting its inevitable part two. And Rogue is smartly staying in business with the guy who nightmared up the ingredients of the first film.
Variety reports that Bryan Bertino is returning to pen the sequel, but he may or may not direct the mayhem this time around. Also returning, of course, are the masked home invaders that enjoy skulking around a lot before poking people parts with penetrating points. You’re not the only one that can write horrific things, Bertino!
You might want to back flip over (with your eyes!) the next paragraph if you haven’t seen the movie.
Doe-peepered Liv Tyler, whose character’s fate was more or less left up in the air at the end of the movie, is also expected to return – whether it’s in a living and breathing state or in a Weekend at Bertinies state remains to be seen.
It certainly comes as no surprise that Bertino is returning to scribble the new installment. When the young writer-director spoke to Jeremy back in May (click here), he had some nice things to say about his commitment to the horror genre:
I tend to write about pretty dark subject matter in general. And when I start writing dramas, they’re dark dramas. I don’t know what it is; I guess it’s part of my nature. As far as wanting to make sure the characters stand out, and that I have a strong story to tell, and that there’s an inherent drama that makes me care about what’s going on… that matters more than anything. But I do love scary stories. I always have. I think a lot of people don’t love the genre, but I have a lot of respect for it – even to the point where I don’t want to watch certain horror films because I don’t feel they were made with that love. So I can see myself writing horror for a long time.
Bertino certainly has a knack for getting good creep outs into a movie. But with this second attempt, I hope he’ll be able to better flesh out some of the non-stalking scenes. I thought Tyler and Tug Scott Speedman made for a fairly believable (if somewhat low energy) pair of victims, but some of the time devoted to their relationship troubles seemed like an attempt to pad the film’s runtime. Plus, the last few decompression moments felt scotch-taped on. Bertino’s certainly in a tough spot here. Delivering more of the same could prove to be an uninteresting exercise, and delving more into the killers’ identities could upset what made the initial movie work. Let’s just hope the new one Livs up to or even exspeeds the chills in the first.