With a new micro-budget horror film hitting theaters almost every week, at this point, the few good ones tend to get lost amongst the flood of awfulness. Unfortunately, that means that there are times when the truly unique and interesting horror films are passed over because people have been burned one too many times by the latest jump scare-laden mess. That seems to be the case with the most recent “Happy Death Day 2U.” And sadly, it appears that the franchise isn’t coming back and is dead for good.
Writer-director Christopher Landon recently went to social media to debunk rumors that a third ‘Happy Death Day’ film was in development.
READ MORE: ‘Happy Death Day 2U’ Is Just As Splendidly Self-Aware, Goofy & Loopy [Review]
“Since I keep reading stuff about it, I’ll say it loud: THERE IS NO HAPPY DEATH DAY 3 IN DEVELOPMENT. It’s just a rumor…unless @netflix wants to pony-up and finish this trilogy, it just ain’t happening,” tweeted Landon.
The last bit of the comment alludes to Netflix’s proclivity with spending big sums of money to bring back forgotten franchises. Of course, there’s been zero speculation that the streaming service is inquiring about Landon’s franchise.
As mentioned, this is ultimately sad news for those that enjoy the occasional well-crafted horror-comedy. After the breakout, surprise success of “Happy Death Day,” production company Blumhouse rushed to make a sequel. With a new take on the “Groundhog Day”-esque premise, “Happy Death Day 2U” had much of the same elements, including a great performance from the lead, Jessica Rothe, that made people happy with the first film. Unfortunately, the box office didn’t reflect it.
Pulling in only about 50% of the gross of the original, “Happy Death Day 2U” saw decent box office, but nothing that would justify making the third film in the series. And yes, compared to the rest of the projects that Netflix and other streaming services fund, the budget for a third ‘Happy Death Day’ would ultimately be a drop in the bucket. But alas, if you listen to what Landon has to say, it appears that there’s currently no hope for a new adventure for Tree and her friends.
Since I keep reading stuff about it, I’ll say it loud: THERE IS NO HAPPY DEATH DAY 3 IN DEVELOPMENT. It’s just a rumor…unless @netflix wants to pony-up and finish this trilogy, it just ain’t happening.
— christopher landon (@creetureshow) July 17, 2019
