The direct-to-video market has provided life support to so many dying horror franchises. Hellraiser, just to name one, has become less like a horror franchise and more like a frail old woman in a hospital bed being kept alive by medical equipment. Only now can we begin to fully understand just how significant Hostel Part II’s box office failure really was. If Hostel Part II had been a success, it would have undoubtedly spawned another sequel. The film, however, was not a success as its domestic gross didn’t even break the twenty million dollar mark. So now the series has officially been put on the life support system known as direct-to-dvd. I can’t help but wonder if Eli Roth was aware of all the risks when he decided to open the door for a potential franchise by doing a Hostel sequel. I’m sure he never imagined that the series would turn into Urban Legends so quickly.
On the bright side, there is a rumor that somebody who has worked closely with Roth on the previous two Hostel films is going to take over the ailing franchise.
According to Bloody Disgusting, Scott Spiegel (Intruder) has been tapped to write and direct Hostel Part III.
There is still no word on whether or not Eli Roth will be involved in any capacity with the film. We’ll keep you updated as the story develops.