As fans reflect on what is anticipated to be the final installment of the spine-chilling Insidious franchise, titled Insidious: The Red Door, they're also preparing to bid farewell to the beloved main cast. However, amidst these goodbyes, director/producer James Wan has an exciting surprise in store for fans. A spinoff film is currently in development, and it promises to offer a fresh and unique story within the fictional universe.
Insidious: The Red Door cast member Lin Shaye, who notably portrayed Elise Rainier in the best and the worst of all five films of the franchise, shared her thoughts on saying goodbye to the Lambert family, and she offered some keen thoughts on that front. Thought it's bittersweet, the prospect of what lies ahead has left this horror movie fanatic absolutely thrilled.
What Was Said About The Main Franchise Ending?
The actress discussed the conclusion of the franchise during an interview with Screen Rant. She personally recognizes the significance of ending the Lambert family's story, expressing her concerns about overstaying their welcome. However, the There’s Something About Mary alum offered some thoughts about where things stand for the franchise itself moving forward, and fans should take heart.
I think everything has a beginning, middle and end, ultimately. I think sometimes, especially in storytelling, it's enough already, as they say, because I know we've all seen shows that we went, 'Oh my god, they're still [going]?' There's especially series that get like that, "Isn't that over already? Is this done already?" [Laughs]
The Grudge actress applauds the horror-producing mega team of Jason Blum and James Wan for knowing when enough is enough. She continued:
I think it's very savvy to be a creator and know when it's good to have an ending, and I think this was a really wonderful — it doesn't mean the world of Insidious is necessarily over, but it does mean that particular story has a beginning, middle and end now, and I applaud it. I think it's a wonderful script, and a wonderful story.
The Red Door marked a highly-anticipated comeback for the franchise following a five-year break. The announcement of Patrick Wilson making his directorial debut for the sequel paired with the return of the original principal cast added to the excitement. While the latest Insidious movie has had a mix critical response, it has been a box office hit, even dethroning Indiana Jones. That bodes well for Sony's plan to develop a spinoff.
What Lies Ahead For The Franchise Beyond The Red Door?
The spinoff, as reported by The Wrap, is to be titled Thread: An Insidious Tale and is set to feature Mandy Moore and Kumail Nanjiani in leading roles. Jeremy Slater, known for his work on Moon Knight, is writing and helming it, and it'll mark his directorial debut.
James Wan and Jason Blum have discussed how their approach to the franchise differs from how DC Studios does things, and they seem to have put a lot of thought into how they want to worldbuild. While talking to Screen Rant, Wan confirmed that the spinoff is still in early development stages. Even more notably, he also expressed that he's looking at in a way that's reminiscent of how he built out the interconnected The Conjuring Universe:
Yeah, Thread basically kind of takes off from the world of The Further in the same way that when I look at my Conjuring films, I go, "Hey, the Warrens have a haunted museum, there's so many different haunted artifacts that we can kind of spin off stories from," and Thread really is something in that same spirit. Leigh and I had kind of built this place called The Further in the Insidious world, and we just felt like there were many stories within that that we can tell, and this is one of the potential stories that we're hoping to kind of get out there with the spinoff.
Yes, there have been the highs and lows with the Conjuring movies. But if Thread achieves the financial success of the Annabelle films and The Nun, it has the potential to open doors for captivating spinoffs deeply intertwined within the Insidious universe. This is particularly exciting given the enticing description that accompanied the movie's announcement, as it was described as a fusion of "Back to the Future" and "Aliens,” which leaves some room for interpretation. Will Kumail Nanjiani and Mandy Moore embark on a time-traveling adventure to battle a horde of their own parents? Either way, count me in! I'll surely miss the Lamberts, of course, but the future seems very bright for this IP.
While you wait on further information regarding Thread: An Insidious Tale, you can venture back into the Further once again with Insidious: The Red Door, which is now playing in theaters. Be sure to read up on the other upcoming horror movies you can look forward to, and check out our schedule of 2023 new movie releases to start planning your next trip to the theater.
