AlthoughHeart Eyeshas a pretty perfect self-contained storyline, the slasher movie’s box office success means a sequel is almost inevitable.Heart Eyes’ killer revealis a stellar twist ending that even the most seasoned genre fan would struggle to predict. The twist ending is a satisfying one and, in an impressive genre mashup,Heart Eyesmanages to succeed as both a sweet romcom and a gory slasher in its closing act.
Admittedly, it is hard to work out howHeart Eyes 2could follow upon Ally and Jay’s story. If there is any issue with the slasher, it is that the genre hybrid is too tidily self-contained and doesn’t necessarily lend itself to a spinoff, sequel, or prequel. However, the box office impact of Heart Eyesmeans that the filmmakers may need to find a way to expand the world of the standalone slasher. Like starOlivia Holt’s earlier slasherTotally Killer,Heart Eyesis a critical success, but the Valentine’s Day themed horror is also a box office smash.
Heart Eyes Joined An Elite Slasher Club With Its Week 2 Box Office
Heart Eyes’ Second Week Increase Almost Matches A Slasher Box Office Record
Heart Eyesearned more at the box office in its second week than its opening weekend, making it one of only three slasher movies to pull off this rare feat. 2022’s indie hitTerrifier 2and 1996’s iconic franchise-spawning meta-slasherScreamboth had stronger second weeks than opening weekends. Heart Eyesjoined this exclusive club when the slasher made $10 million in its second week, out-earning its week 1 takings by 20%.
For comparison, it is not unusual for a second week of release to see a new movie’s performance drop by up to 50%. ForHeart Eyesto earn more, and by such a wide margin, is an undeniably impressive achievement alone. When paired with the movie’s low budget and its critical success, it is a huge win.Heart Eyes’s fusion of slasher and murder mystery tropesfollows in the footsteps of its screenwriter Christopher Landon’s earlier hitHappy Death Day, which made over $125 million on a budget of only $5 million in 2017.
The box office success ofHeart Eyesstands out.
SinceHappy Death Day’s success, there has been an influx of slashers that combine self-aware comedy, murder mystery plotting, and slasher kills includingHappy Death Day 2 U,There’s Someone Inside Your House,Bodies Bodies Bodies,Thanksgiving,Totally Killer,Scream 2022,Scream VI,It’s A Wonderful Knife, andHeart Eyes. While many of these were financial and critical successes, the box office success ofHeart Eyesstands out.
Heart Eyes' Box Office Drop Increases The Odds Of A Sequel
Heart Eyes Is Almost Certain To Get A Follow-up Now
Not only didScreamget a sequel after the original movie’s second week outperformed its opening, but director Wes Craven’s movie went on to spawn a franchise that remains one of the most celebrated and financially successful slasher series in history. Meanwhile,Terrifier 2spawned 2024’sTerrifier 3, a gorier, wilder sequel that managed to out-earn its predecessor to become the most financially successful unrated movie of all time.Heart Eyeshas a mainstream appeal thatTerrifier 2seemingly lacked and a genre-mashing premise that evenScreamcouldn’t boast.
As such,Heart Eyesis almost certain to receive a sequel, prequel, or spinoffafter the original movie’s box-office success.Heart Eyes’ nods to theScreamseries, along with its many borrows from iconic romcoms, prove that the movie is simultaneously fresh and steeped in film history. This makes a sequel all the more appealing sinceHeart Eyescan borrow from both classic romcoms and slashers alike to create a whole unique hybrid genre.
What Heart Eyes' Director Has Said About Making A Sequel
Heart Eyes’ Director Discussed Dropping The Killer Into More Classic Rom-Coms
In an interview withVariety,Heart Eyesdirector Josh Ruben admitted that he did have an idea for a follow-up. The director’s pitch takes the most original idea from the movie and expands on it, asking what classic romcoms would look and feel like with a serial killer stalking around in the background. Per Ruben, “There’s an opportunity that we could have whoever the filmmaker was… genuinely trying to create or replicate that rom-com, or the feeling of a Bridget Jones or a Love Actually or what have you, but actually have those people terrified by this psychopathic killer.”
5 Hints That Foreshadow The Killer’s Identity In Heart Eyes
The twist about the killer’s identity in the horror film Heart Eyes may have surprised some, but there are multiple hints that foreshadow the truth.
Much likeHappy Death Daycould be described as “Scream meets Groundhog Day” orIt’s A Wonderful Knifecould be called “It’s A Wonderful Life crossed with Friday the 13th,”Heart Eyeshas a perfect elevator pitch at its core. The original movie’s stars wouldn’t necessarily need to return for a sequel, since the nextHeart Eyesinstallment could be another romcom riff with a new couple that gradually reveals itself to be a self-aware slasher. The possibilities are endless for theHeart Eyesfranchise, so viewers should expect more from the series in the future.
