‘Insidious 2’ Arriving Next Summer; Original Cast, Screenwriter & Director To Return [UPDATED]

[UPDATE: Insidious Chapter Two has been pushed back a month. Read on…]

Our own Kofi Outlaw predicted that director James Wan’s new film The Conjuring could become the runaway horror success of 2013 (after fantastic test screening results and the film’s buzzed-about showing at this year’s New York Comic-Con). Wan’s positioned to repeat his act from 2011, where his supernatural horror flick Insidious hit it off with audiences for similar reasons; namely, it relies on good old-fashioned scare tactics and spookiness to send shivers down your spine.

However, it turns out The Conjuring won’t be the only dose of creepiness from Wan served up to moviegoers next summer – as the sequel, Insidious Chapter Two, is also going to be hitting theaters during that season (with Wan once again directing from a script penned by frequent collaborator Leigh Whannell).

Principal photography on the second Insidious installment is scheduled to begin on January 15th next year, in order to make an August 30th 2013 release date. There will also be returning players both behind-the-scenes and on-camera, as most cast members from the first film are confirmed for Chapter Two – including, Rose Byrne (X-Men: First Class), Patrick Wilson (Young Adult), Lin Shaye and Ty Simpkins. However, there’s no mention of Barbara Hershey (Black Swan) coming back, nor of Whannell and Angus Sampson reprising their amusing roles from the first film.

Meanwhile, Jason Blum and Oren Peli (Paranormal Activity) are once again coming back as co-producers, with Film District distributing the sequel in theaters around the U.S. Curiously, Insidious Chapter 2 arrives just over a month after The Conjuring reaches theaters. Then again, the summer isn’t traditionally a time when there’s an over-abundance of creepy flicks playing around the country, so both of Wan’s films could find success as counter-programming to the many blockbusters of the season.

WARNING: INSIDIOUS SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

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Now, as anyone who’s seen Insidious knows all too well, that film ended on a freaky last-minute twist/cliff hanger that begs the question of what happens next; thus, the conflict for Chapter 2 has already been well-established (ie. Wilson’s body has been taken over by the creepy old lady demon that’s been haunting him since childhood). Moreover, the film concluded with Shaye’s character being strangled to death by the possessed Wilson – though, of course, in a world where supernatural forces are able to cross-over into our reality, there’s nothing to prevent her specter from making an appearance in the sequel.

Wan has continued to sharpen and refine his ability to scare the heck out of people since his breakout days making the first Saw movie – as evidenced by his work on Insidious (and early footage shown from The Conjuring). That provides all the more reason to see what tricks he has up his sleeve with Insidious Chapter 2.

Moreover, there are very much some interesting themes to be picked up in the sequel, in addition to the aforementioned dangling story threads – which makes this the rare occasion where a sequel to a horror movie is not only welcome, but can also readily expand on the mythology of the first installment (hopefully, without over-convoluting things in the process, a la Paranormal Activity 2-4).

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UPDATE: Film District has pushed back Insidious Chapter Two. It will now open in theaters on September 20th, 2013.