In the current climate of mainstream horror cinema, it seems few films arrive as standalone scarefest. True, the likes of Oculus and As Above, So Below have cropped up as promising new IP in recent months, but with Sinister 2, The Conjuring 2 and the Insidious franchise all moving forward unabated, it seems as though these big-budget, one and done films are a rarity.
However, when it comes to The Babadook, writer and director Jennifer Kent claims that she has no intention on pushing ahead with a sequel to the psychological horror.
Speaking to IGN, the actress-cum-filmmaker touched upon the idea of a follow-up to the horror flick, saying that because she owns the rights along with the film’s producer, there is no chance of a direct sequel.
Well, the good news is, I had the foresight to make sure that my producer and I owned the rights to any sequels. The reason for that is I will never allow any sequel to be made, because it’s not that kind of film. I don’t care how much I’m offered, it’s just not going to happen. [Laughs]
It’s interesting to hear Kent’s steadfast perspective on the matter. While some of those aforementioned properties are perhaps better suited and indeed produced for sequels, The Babadook’s ending was conclusive enough to fit in with the tone and core, psychological tenets of Kent’s horror. As things stand, it seems that ghoulish pop-up book has been closed once and for all.
The Babadook loomed into theaters earlier this year, and for more on Jennifer Kent’s scarefest, you can check out our review.
