David Robert Mitchell is to direct a sequel to his horror hit, It Follows. They Follow will also see Maika Monroe return as star.
Proving that time is a relentless menace that must be stopped, It Follows was released way back in 2014. The second feature from David Robert Mitchell, who wrote and directed, it was a low-budget horror film that was as intelligent as it was suspenseful and technically ingenious. That’s a rare trifecta.
Starring Maika Monroe as one of several teenagers pursued by a supernatural force that appears to pass from host to host like a venereal disease, It Follows made multiple times its $1.3m budget in cinemas – and no doubt made a lot more cash on its home release – it’s one of the most acclaimed horror movies of the 2010s.
Almost a decade on, and Variety reports that Mitchell and Monroe are to reteam for a sequel called They Follow, which will be co-produced by Neon, the same studio that worked with Mitchell on the original film. Mitchell will again write and direct, though at this early stage it isn’t known what the film will be about or how big Monroe’s role will be.
Podcast | John Wick (2014) and It Follows (2014)
Neon has been quick to trumpet the announcement on social media, though, with its Twitter (or X, if you must) account simply stating, “The long-awaited sequel to the modern horror classic It Follows from David Robert Mitchell. Coming Soon.”
There is, however, a tantalising tagline: “It’s everywhere.” Has the supernatural disease of the first film become a pandemic by the time of the sequel?
If you haven’t seen It Follows yet for some reason, we’d urge you to give it a watch. While you’re at, it do check out Mitchell’s debut, The Myth Of The American Sleepover, a likeably awkward coming-of-age comedy, and Under The Silver Lake, a darkly surreal mystery with a terrific, dishevelled performance from Andrew Garfield. It divided critics and bemused audiences in 2018, but it rightly appears to be attracting something of a cult following these days. The scene where Garfield, off his gourd on various substances, dances maniacally to REM’s What’s The Frequency Kenneth is a true standout.
They Follow is due to start filming next year.
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