It Follows writer/director David Robert Mitchell and star Maika Monroe are reteaming for the sequel They Follow
We’re coming up on the nine year anniversary of the release of writer/director David Robert Mitchell’s horror film It Follows – and NEON has announced that Mitchell is finally moving forward with a sequel, to be titled They Follow! It Follows star Maika Monroe is returning to the lead for the follow-up, reprising the role of Jay Height.
Details on the plot of They Follow are being kept under wraps, but the plan is that filming will take place in 2024. NEON will be presenting the project to potential buyers at the American Film Market this week, and will be co-producing the film with Good Fear Content. Mitchell is producing with Jake Weiner and Chris Bender of Good Fear Content, as well as the original producers of It Follows, David Kaplan, Erik Rommesmo, Rebecca Green, and Laura Smith.
It Follows had the following synopsis: After carefree teenager Jay sleeps with her new boyfriend, Hugh, for the first time, she learns that she is the latest recipient of a fatal curse that is passed from victim to victim via sexual intercourse. Death, Jay learns, will creep inexorably toward her as either a friend or a stranger. Jay’s friends don’t believe her seemingly paranoid ravings, until they too begin to see the phantom assassins and band together to help her flee or defend herself.
A few years ago, Monroe said she would “absolutely love” to work with Mitchell on a sequel to It Follows. Now she’s finally getting her chance to do just that. Monroe added, “It’s been a crazy ride. Being a part of It Follows, there’s so many movies that have changed the horror genre, but I know that It Follows is such a massive influence and this change of the genre, which was so cool to be a part of, and so many people really connected with that film. For me, with these projects, all I can do is give the most honest performance and I don’t look at it necessarily as a horror film or thriller or this or that. It’s just me really falling into this character and bringing as much truth as I can so that people can really fall into the story.“
NEON CEO Tom Quinn’s label RADiUS released It Follows, and Quinn said way back in 2015 that he wanted a sequel. Mitchell, on the other hand, was reluctant to move right into making a sequel, saying, “When I wrote it, it was just about doing this film, this one thing. I certainly have a ton of ideas for things that could happen, either with these characters or other characters in this situation, but I don’t know. Right now I’m not planning to do that, I have some other films that I’m trying to put together that are different genres.” Mitchell went on to make the mystery drama Under the Silver Lake, which wasn’t well-received… and he hasn’t gotten another movie into production since. So it makes sense that he has been drawn back to the world of It Follows.
They Follow isn’t the only project Mitchell is working on, though. He’s currently developing an untitled film for Warner Bros. and is also working with Anne Hathaway on a Bad Robot production.
Are you a fan of It Follows, and are you glad to hear a sequel is being made all these years later? Share your thoughts on Maika Monroe and David Robert Mitchell reteaming for They Follow by leaving a comment below.
