While the original movie remains one of the most acclaimed horror titles of the past decade, Jennifer Kent is still not keen onThe Babadook 2. The 2014 horror drama served as Kent’s feature directorial debut, adapting her short filmMonsterand following a single mother and her troubled son as they become the target of the titular entity while still grieving the death of the son’s father six years earlier. Despite garnering rave reviews from critics and strong international box office returns at the time, no sequel toThe Babadookhas been produced, with Kent and another producer holding the rights to prevent one.
During a recent interview withScreen Rantforthe upcomingBabadook10th Anniversary Re-Release, Kent was asked whether she had softened on her thoughts of a sequel in the years since. Though the writer/director remained firm she’s still not interested in a follow-up, she hasn’t closed the door off entirely,on the one condition that “there suddenly became some desperate urge to tell a story related to that”.See what Kent shared below:
No, I think I’m too involved in other films that I’m trying to get made. I mean, if there suddenly became some desperate urge to tell a story related to that, I would probably say, “Okay, all bets are off. I’m going to go and make the sequel.” But I just can’t see that happening. I feel that the idea has really been explored. There are other sort of scary films in the wings, one in particular that I’m really invested in happening, and also a horror series that I’ve been developing, which I’m really excited about as well. So those ideas are taking over.
What This Means For The Babadook 2’s Chances
Kent’s lack of interest & busy docket makes it unlikely
Despite the horror genre being rife with endless sequels,The Babadookremains an outlierin its lack of a follow-up, even in spite of its viral popularity.The movie wasn’t a box office success in its home country of Australia, but gained significant ground overseas, with the United Kingdom and France being the top-grossing regions and helping propel it to its eventual $10.4 million haul. See howThe Babadook’s Australian box office compared to other major markets in its initial run:
$181,342
$2,036,647
$1,817,518
$1,365,469
$1,260,300
$1,092,991
United States
$964,413
Though finances are a key figure in getting sequels made to popular projects, ownership of rights is the ultimate deciding factor, and withKent and another producer having held on toThe Babadook’s rights, her lack of interest does make for a setback in any future sequel plans. This is in addition to the fact that, as Kent toldScreen Rantin the same interview, she has quite a busy schedule ahead of her, currently developing a horror TV show and a movie adaptation of an unnamed horror author’s works:
I can tell you that I’m teaming up with a very well-known horror writer/author to try and make one of his books. And it’s not Stephen King. [Chuckles] So, that’s all I can say at this point. We’re hoping to release information about that in a couple of weeks. We’re in the middle of deal making, but if that goes ahead, I’m super excited about making that next year. I love Stephen King, of course, there’s nothing against him, but it’s not him.
Our Take On A Babadook Sequel
Not every horror movie needs one
While the lore of The Babadook is rife with the potential not only to dive deeper into, but also be used to tap into other themes for the people it haunts, Kent’s belief on whyThe Babadook 2shouldn’t happen may actually be for the best. As she notes above,the originalBabadook’s endingdid nicely wrap up its story, with Amelia and Samuel keeping the spirit in their basement as both a reminder of their grief, but also to prevent it from terrorizing others.
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Given the titular entity was so closely tied to Amelia and Samuel’s story, it may also be hard to create a meaningful reason whyThe Babadook 2would see it haunt anyone other than them. With there also being 10 years since the original movie’s release, and Kent finding equal acclaim with other things likeThe Nightingaleandan episode ofGuillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities, it may be best to leave The Babadook trapped in that basement for the foreseeable future.
The Babadook
Cast
The Babadook, directed by Jennifer Kent, explores the struggles of a single mother grieving her husband’s death while confronting her son’s fear of a lurking monster. As they contend with this unseen entity, the sinister presence grows increasingly pervasive in their lives.
