Sequels may be all the rage in Hollywood, but a good one? a necessary one? a truly anticipated one? That’s still rare. So how refreshing that one of American indie cinema’s most beloved (and original!) horror outings is preparing to scare up fans (new and old) with a follow-up feature 10 long years since its first release.
Such is the case with David Robert Mitchell’s cult hit “It Follows,” which is readying for a sequel next year. In October of last year, Neon announced plans for a sequel to the film — which follows a group of Detroit pals, including Maika Monroe in her star-making turn as Jay Height, as they attempt to fight back a nameless, faceless entity that is passed to victims through sexual intercourse — with both Mitchell and star Monroe slated to return.
And while Monroe can’t provide too many details of what’s to come, she’s clearly very excited about what she and Mitchell have in store for fans.
Speaking to Monroe today about her other hotly anticipated Neon horror release, Oz Perkins’ “Longlegs,” we couldn’t help but ask about the status of “They Follow.” After all, the last time this writer spoke to Monroe, for 2022’s chilling “Watcher,” the rising star and bonafide scream queen was still thinking quite fondly of the original film. (And, not to worry, we’ll have much more from our “Longlegs” chat with Monroe in the coming days.)
“I really got lucky with ‘It Follows,’” she said in 2022. “It sort of changed the game for the horror genre. I think back in the ’60s and ’70s and early ’80s, there was some really amazing, elevated horror in the genre, and then something got lost somewhere and it was about hot girls and sex and blood.”
She added, “Of course I had no idea what it was going to be,” she said. “I had seen David’s previous film, ‘The Myth of the American Sleepover,’ that was so beautiful and so dreamy, and I was like, ‘OK, maybe this style mixed with a horror film could be very interesting,’ but I had no idea the effect of it and that it [would be] such an important film to so many people, so many years later.”
Ten years later, and that affection and attention aren’t slowing down at all. (Monroe even mentioned that, after she shot her first scene with “Longlegs” co-star Nicolas Cage, the icon told Monroe he was a “really big fan of hers” and that “It Follows” was one of his “favorite films ever.”)
When asked about what she can share about “They Follow,” Monroe admitted “not much” (of course!). Still, she was quick to add, “I just know that David wouldn’t do a sequel if it wasn’t going to be incredible, and the script is so fucking good. I’m obsessed. I’m just so excited to step into playing Jay again and just where you find her, it’s going to be great.”
Asked how she’s readying to slip back into the role, which marks her first time reprising a role, Monroe said, “I have no idea. This is going to be my first time. It’s going to be such a new kind of adventure for me. Probably a lot of conversations with David and kind of piecing together everything that happened in the 10 years between these films. I think it’s going to be very, very fun.”
As for one of the film’s other beloved stars — the shell phone! — Monroe laughed, and noted, “You’ve got to bring that back, right? Come on!” She added, “You know what? I’m going to chat with David and make sure that we have some maybe slightly advanced shell phone.”
Monroe said they will start shooting the film in early 2025.
Mitchell, who wrote and directed the original horror installment, is returning to write and direct the sequel. He’s also a producer, alongside the original film’s producer David Kaplan, Erik Rommesmo, Rebecca Green, and Laura Smith. Additionally producing are Jake Weiner and Chris Bender of Good Fear Content.
Neon will release “They Follow” in 2025. “Longlegs” will hit theaters on Friday, July 12.
