Successful horror movies trigger sequels and spawn franchises. Think of the Paranormal Activity or Saw movies. Heck, even something as putrid as The Human Centipede was given a second chance. So the news that Focus Features is moving ahead with Insidious Chapter 3 isn’t entirely surprising (for various reasons, which we’ll discuss), but there are some major questions that are going to have to be answered before the movie opens in theaters.
The sequel will arrive on April 3, 2015, according to BoxOfficeMojo.com. Only one other film has placed a push pin on that calendar date: Passengers, a sci-fi thriller with Keanu Reeves and Rachel McAdams that will be directed by Brian Kirk. But it’s a strategic move from the franchise’s perspective, as the original film opened on April 1 back in 2011, and went on to earn $97 million in worldwide ticket sales (against a $1.5 million production budget). Now that’s a profit!
Here’s where we start asking questions. Who is going to direct the third Insidious? The great James Wan helmed the first two films in the series, but was not mentioned when the sequel was first announced. As most of you know, Wan has moved on to the Fast & Furious series, guiding the seventh chapter in the ongoing saga. But that movie’s due in theaters in 2014, so Wan has the possibility of rapidly shifting gears and getting back into the Insidious fold.
However, Wan has a SECOND horror franchise that is prepping a sequel, and he might choose to go in that direction. I’m talking about The Conjuring, which bulldozed its way to $137.4 million domestically this summer and a grand total of $316M worldwide. That’s beyond sequel money. In addition, it’s being reported that the disturbing Annabelle doll, introduced in The Conjuring, is getting a spinoff movie. So Wan has plenty of options. Could a third Insidious lure him back to that series? Sure. If there’s a great story to tell, we could see Wan moving his schedule around to accommodate. Plus, Wan has proven – as when he shot Insidious: Chapter 2 and The Conjuring virtually back-to-back – that he’s a tireless storyteller who will pour his heart and soul into his craft.
I love the Insidious movies, and I’m glad that it’s continuing. But I’d feel better about a third movie if Wan were going to be in the director’s chair. How about you?
