I think we can officially rename the summer of 2013 “The Summer of James Wan,” as horror fans now have another film to get excited about before October’s typical horror release season.
Cinema Blend is reporting that in addition to director James Wan’s horror film The Conjuring opening July 19th, 2013, Wan will also see his highly-anticipated sequel to 2010’s surprise mainstream hit Insidious, Insidious Chapter 2, hit theaters that same summer, releasing August 30th, 2013.
Along with director James Wan returning, fans of the original can breathe easy knowing all original cast members are slated to return. Writer Leigh Whannell is back to script yet another haunted house tale for Wan, putting stars Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Lin Shaye, and Ty Simpkins through another horrifying ghostly experience.
Now, I won’t hide the fact that I’m a huge Insidious fan, and hearing Insidious Chapter 2 is now officially happening makes me astronomically happy, but there is one thing I’m worried about – time.
James Wan’s Insidious was a home run. From Whannell’s chilling haunted house story that perfectly blended paranormal events and true horror elements with exorbitant originality to Wan’s seriously terrifying visual set-ups, I only wanted an Insidious sequel if proper care would be put in – especially with how Insidious ends.
But if the studio wants an August 30th release date, that doesn’t even give a year time frame for Wan’s finished product. I’m not saying it can’t be done, but for how good Insidious is, a rushed cash-in on Wan’s original hit would be a heartbreaking endeavor, one I’ve experienced too many times already. I’m not sure I could handle watching one of my favorite recent horror films be tarnished by greedy studios with dollar signs in their eyes.
But producer Jason Blum (Blumhouse Productions) insists Insidious Chapter 2 is in good hands and we shouldn’t worry, saying:
Blumhouse is committed to empowering filmmakers to tell their stories and we are excited to do that once again with the team from the first Insidious including James and Leigh and the original cast. We also look forward to working with our partners on the first film- FilmDistrict, Alliance and Sony.
Alright, alright, I get it. Everyone’s happy and holding hands, we shouldn’t worry, the creative minds have full control – these are all things I like to hear. Whether or not the people involved have enough time allotted will be another question, but this optimist’s fingers are crossed.
So with casting and a release date in place, Insidious Chapter 2 is a go! But enough about my opinion, do you believe Wan and Whannell will pull off their sequel in frightening fashion, making any doubters like me look foolish? Will Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne light up the screen again? Most importantly though, do you even want to see an Insidious sequel? Let us know what you think!
