(Left) Sarah Michelle Gellar in ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’. Photo: 20th Century Fox Television. (Right) Elijah Wood in ‘Bookworm’. Photo: Rialto Distribution.
Preview:
- Sarah Michelle Gellar and Elijah Wood have boarded the ‘Ready or Not’ sequel.
- Samara Weaving is returning to star.
- The movie is about to start shooting.
The cameras are about to roll on the follow-up to 2019 horror hit ‘Ready or Not,’ which means that directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett –– part of the filmmaking collective known as Radio Silence alongside producers Justin Martinez and Chad Villella –– are getting ready to unleash the chaos of games-turned-deadly once again.
Following the success of the original –– $6 million budget with more than $57 million at the box office worldwide, the sequel, which we now know is rather wonderfully titled ‘Ready or Not: Here I Come,’ is adding some cast members to join the established Samara Weaving (who will reprise the role of Grace from the original) and more recent addition Kathryn Newton.
And the new recruits should be familiar to anyone who enjoys genre titles: Sarah Michelle Gellar and Elijah Wood.
They’re not the only fresh faces signing up to work on the new movie: Shawn Hatosy, Néstor Carbonell, Kevin Durand (who, like Newton, worked with the directors on vampire romp ‘Abigail’) and directing legend/occasional actor David Cronenberg are rounding out the cast.
Related Article: Samara Weaving and Radio Silence Team Reuniting for ‘Ready or Not’ Sequel
What was the story of ‘Ready or Not’?
The cast of ‘Ready or Not’. Photo: Fox Searchlight Pictures.
The original movie followed a young bride (Weaving’s Grace) as she joined her new husband’s (Mark O’Brien) rich, eccentric family (which included Adam Brody, Henry Czerny, Andie MacDowell) in a time-honored tradition that turned into a lethal game with everyone fighting for their survival.
Spoiler alert in case you didn’t see the film: Weaving’s character was just about the only person to make it out of the game alive.
Which means it’s hard to predict what will happen in the follow-up. Could there be previously unseen family members who come out of the woodwork to threaten Grace? Will she find herself in a different but equally dangerous weird life-threatening situation?
We can only guess at this point, but with writers Guy Busick and R. Christopher Murphy returning to craft the chaos, it’ll surely be just as lethal.
‘Ready or Not: Here I Come’: The filmmakers speak
Director Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, left, and Director Tyler Gillett on the set of Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s ‘Scream VI.’
Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett are clearly happy to be back at it:
“We’re thrilled to be returning to the world of ‘Ready or Not’ with Samara, Brett, Avery and Andrew and so excited to work with this immensely talented cast and the incredible artists across every department joining the ‘Ready or Not’ family.”
And here’s what Searchlight Pictures president Matthew Greenfield had to say:
“We’re beyond excited to make another film with the phenomenal Radio Silence. With ‘Ready or Not: Here I Come,’ we get to go on another ride with the amazing Samara Weaving, mix in awesome new voices and bring audiences a fresh take that’s every bit as twisted and fun as the first one. This is for those who’ve been waiting, and those who didn’t see it coming.”
Where else have we seen Sarah Michelle Gellar and Elijah wood?
(L to R) Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jennifer Love Hewitt and Ryan Phillippe in ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer’. Photo: Columbia Pictures.
Sarah Michelle Gellar is no stranger to the world of sci-fi and fantasy, particularly on the small screen. She’s still best known for playing Buffy Summers, the main character of much-loved series ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer,’ and is an executive producer on the rebooted version of the show that is now in development.
Elsewhere on TV, she’s been seen in shows such as ‘Dexter: Original Sin,’ ‘Wolf Pack,’ ‘The Crazy Ones,’ ‘Ringer’ and ‘Buffy’ spin-off ‘Angel.’
Movie-wise, her credits include ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer,’ ‘Scream 2,’ ‘Small Soldiers,’ ‘Simply Irresistible,’ ‘Cruel Intentions,’ the American version of ‘The Grudge’ and as Daphne in the two live-action ‘Scooby Doo’ movies.
She’s attached to star in and produce a new TV series called ‘Bad Summer People.’
(L to R) Laura Mennell, Elijah Wood and Theo James in ‘The Monkey’. Photo: Neon.
As for Wood, he got his start as a child actor, making his movie debut in ‘Back to the Future Part II.’
Since then, he’s been seen in the likes of ‘Forever Young,’ ‘Flipper,’ ‘The Ice Storm,’ ‘Deep Impact,’ ‘The Faculty,’ ‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,’ ‘Sin City,’ ‘The Monkey‘ and voiced Mumble in the two ‘Happy Feet’ movies.
But far and away on his resume in terms of impact is his work on Peter Jackson’s three giant ‘Lord of the Rings’ movies, in which he played Frodo Baggins.
Since then, he’s also become something of a producer, helping filmmakers get their work on screens.
His TV credits include ‘Yellowjackets,’ ‘Star Wars: Resistance,’ ‘Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency,’ ‘Wilfred’ and ‘Frasier.’
When will ‘Ready or Not: Here I Come’ be in theaters?
Backers Searchlight Pictures haven’t yet announced when the sequel will be causing chaos on screens, but with production gearing up, a 2026 release surely isn’t out of the question.
Elijah Wood in ‘Bookworm’. Photo: Rialto Distribution.
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