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Posted in: Movies, New Line Cinema | Tagged: lights out, lights out 2, New Line Cinema
Lights Out Director Shares His Thoughts on a Potential Sequel Story
Lights Out director David F. Sandberg discusses his interest in returning for a sequel and how some of his initial plans would need to change.
Article Summary
- Director David F. Sandberg expresses interest in making a Lights Out sequel despite the time gap since the original.
- Initial sequel ideas would need to adapt, as the character Martin is no longer a kid after nearly a decade.
- Lights Out became a massive success, turning a viral short into a $149 million box office horror hit in 2016.
- While no official sequel is in motion, Sandberg is keeping the door open for a potential Lights Out 2 return.
Horror franchises have a habit of coming back strong. For example, the past decade has seen legacy series like Scream, Halloween, and Saw find fresh audiences and new box-office life. Now the filmmaker behind the standalone hit Lights Out is teasing that the long-discussed sequel isn't off the table just yet. However, it would definitely need a little story reworking to fit the time jump now that a good chunk of time has passed since the events of the original film.
Here's what we know so far.
Light's Out Director Says That His Original Sequel Plans Have Shifted
"We did have a version of a [Lights Out] sequel, which it wouldn't be if we do it now. Well, some of it might be. But that one took place shortly after [the original], but now Martin's not a kid anymore, so it would have to take place, like, 10 years later," director David F. Sandberg said at Midnight Fest in Boston, implying that a Lights Out 2 could still see the light of day.
Lights Out began as a viral three-minute short that weaponized the fear of the dark with a simple, nasty hook, then grew into a feature produced by New Line and Atomic Monster. The short debuted online in late 2013, and the feature followed in 2016, where it became a summertime sleeper, finishing its box office run with nearly $149 million worldwide on a (much smaller) reported $4.9 million budget. Horror fans were generally impressed too, noting how efficiently the movie turned a basic silhouette-in-the-hallway scare into a full-on studio chiller.
Teresa Palmer led Lights Out as Rebecca, with Maria Bello as her troubled mother Sophie, Gabriel Bateman as her younger brother Martin, Alexander DiPersia as Rebecca's boyfriend, and Billy Burke. Sandberg also made his feature debut on the film, working from a screenplay by Eric Heisserer and producing alongside James Wan, and the result launched Sandberg into bigger studio work.
Sure, Sandberg has been clear that there is no official start date or concrete motion just yet, but the door is still open. And yes, we're very much on board with the idea of a Lights Out sequel. Are you?
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