After the success of the 2020 horror-comedy Freaky there’s been steady demand for a Freaky 2 in the future, but the sequel to the quirky body swap slasher has yet to materialize. Blumhouse Productions and directed by Christopher Landon, Freaky is a charming, bloody affair that explores the aftermath of high school student Millie Kessler (Kathryn Newton) swapping bodies with a serial killer known as the Blissfield Butcher (Vince Vaughn). Inspired by the story Freaky Friday and drawing elements from classic ’80s slasher movies, Freaky is a coming-of-age tale with both heart and gore — which would make it a standout offering within the horror genre in any other year.
Freaky left a subtle hint in the ending as to how the single endeavor could become a larger franchise, or at least get a sequel. Just like Happy Death Day — which has been confirmed to exist in the same universe as Freaky — the horror/comedy provides smart commentary not only on prominent social issues important to today’s youth. However, it also avoids many stale, formulaic tropes while still paying homage to the movies that inspired it. Freaky rightly earned the cult following it gained since its underwhelming 2020 release, any many are wondering why a sequel hasn’t emerged. If Freaky 2 does get the green light from Blumhouse, here’s what to expect.
Freaky 2 Latest News
Those hoping for some positive Freaky 2 updates will be disappointed, as there has been little-to-no movement on the sequel in the years since release. Despite the critical success of Freaky, its box office returns didn’t make a sequel an obvious decision. Freaky was produced on a relatively cheap budget of $6 million and made roughly $16 million at the box office. While it doesn’t make it a failure, it also doesn’t suggest a huge audience waiting for the sequel. Freaky‘s director even criticized the studio’s decision to premiere the movie on streaming as well as in theaters, which could suggest there’s additional behind-the-scenes friction hampering development of Freaky 2.
Freaky 2 Is Not Confirmed
After three years since the first movie came out, there is no confirmation that Freaky 2 will happen. While there have been rumblings behind-the-scenes for a long time, director Christopher Landon suggested the odds of a follow-up were not good. In an interview (via Coming Soon), Landon said “I don’t think it’s ever gonna happen, because I honestly don’t know if the studio has an appetite for a sequel.” This hints again at some disagreements over how the movie was initially released. However, Landon also shared that he was comfortable leaving the movie as a standalone and didn’t have any ideas for continuing the story.
Freaky 2 Cast
While it is possible that a Freaky sequel could tell a new story, given that the cast really elevated the original, many would expect Kathryn Newton back as Millie along with fellow survivors Josh (Misha Osherovich), Nyla (Celeste O’Connor), and Booker (Uriah Shelton). While the Butcher died in Freaky, it is safe to assume the sequel would try to find a way to use the magic premise to bring Vince Vaughn back as he stole the show in the original. Vaughn and Newton as costars would have a lot of pull with audiences too, and the potential cast of Freaky 2 is perhaps one of the most obvious reasons horror heavyweight studio Blumhouse may have to consider greenlighting it.
Freaky 2 Story Details
The ending of Freaky leaves the mystical dagger that caused the body swap to occur still in play; if someone managed to acquire the weapon, it could cause the events to repeat. Happy Death Day 2U handled the sequel treatment in an interesting route, combining time-travel and sci-fi elements to its slasher backbone; Freaky 2 could do the same thing. By exploring the dagger’s mythology in greater detail, a sequel could serve as a prequel in the franchise or even see a different villain come to power by adopting a form that’s equally unlikely to be construed as dangerous.
A Happy Death Day And Freaky Crossover Has Been Discussed
While there hasn’t been much news on Freaky 2, another way to continue the franchise has been discussed to some degree with a Happy Death Day and Freaky crossover. After Christopher Landon confirmed these two movies exist in the same universe, there have been a lot of rumors about the two crossing over. It is not hard to imagine as they both have a similar tone with comedy and horror melded together. They also each bring high-concept genres into a horror story with Freaky doing a body-swap movie and Happy Death Day doing a time loop movie.
However, the news on that front isn’t overly positive either. After a hope of a crossover began to ramp up, Jason Blum tempered those expectations by suggesting he was not hopeful in it happening. More recently, Landon addressed the Freaky/Happy Death Day crossover by saying “I know that Jessica, Kathryn and I would love to get together and make something absolutely ridiculous. So it’s possible, but we really haven’t had an actual creative conversation about doing something like that.” While the news isn’t exactly comforting for fans, but the fact that Landon has spoken to both Kathryn Newton and Jessica Rothe about returning for Freaky 2 is somewhat promising.
