Great horror films are somewhat of a rarity in Hollywood, which explains why fans of the genre were so taken with Sinister, an engrossing and genuinely disturbing flick about a true crime writer who, after moving his family into a house where another family was previously murdered, stumbles across a box filled with tapes depicting the grisly murders of multiple families. And though Sinister‘s shattering conclusion may have led viewers to conclude that there wasn’t much room for a sequel, Sinister 2 is already well on the way.
Today, Scott Derrickson (The Exorcism of Emily Rose, Deliver Us From Evil), who both co-wrote and directed the first film, announced via his Twitter page that he has selected a reaplcement for the sequel: Citadel director Ciaran Foy.
Sinister 2 news! The script, written by me & @massawyrm, will be directed by the talented Ciaran Foy. I will produce w/Jason Blum @blumhouse
— Scott Derrickson (@scottderrickson) April 17, 2014
In addition to announcing Foy’s involvement, Derrickson also confirmed, much to our relief, that he will be involved with Sinister 2 as a co-writer. Furthermore, Derrickson’s collaborator C. Robert Cargill will rejoin him in working on the script.
Sinister, which was made for an absolutely tiny $3 million, made almost 30 times that at the box office, so a follow-up was never really in question. However, knowing that the two men responsible for scaring the pants off us will be continuing to build the series mythology lends weight to the idea that, for once, producer Jason Blum may be involved in a satisfying sequel.
Citadel, which came out in 2012, was Foy’s directorial debut. It didn’t attract much attention, and We Got This Covered’s Chase Whale had some less than positive things to say about the flick, but Derrickson and the fine folks over at Blumhouse Productions must have been mightily impressed with what Foy accomplished in the film, despite his lack of experience. Derrickson, Cargill and Jason Blum clearly have a vested interest in turning Sinister into a viable franchise, so it’s highly doubtable they’d hand the reigns over to just anyone.
No release date has been announced for Sinister 2, but expect a quick turn-around on this one.