Genre mash-ups tend to bite off more than they can chew, but that’s never been the case for the Happy Death Day franchise. The time-loop slasher began as a hybrid of Groundhog Day and Scream, as it followed a sorority girl stuck reliving her murder over and over again. That concept was clever, but its second installment swung in a new direction, doubling down on the first film’s sci-fi ideas to create an unorthodox horror franchise.
Fans hoped Universal and Blumhouse would up the ante again with a third film, though it’s been five years since Happy Death Day 2U first stoked interest in a threequel. According to director Christopher Landon, who spoke to Inverse about a potential follow-up in 2020, “There’s definitely more to tell.” He even had an outline for a third film ready to go, “but Universal didn’t move forward with it, and no one really knows why yet.”
Demand for another Happy Death Day film has stayed strong, and neither Landon nor Blumhouse head Jason Blum have given up on making it happen. The duo’s been quietly working to make the story the best that it can be, and hopefully Universal will soon give Happy Death Day 3 the green light.
Happy Death Day’s director has a new film figured out, if Universal approves of it.
That, at least, is the dream for Jessica Rothe, who plays Tree Gelbman in the films. The actor recently shared an update on sequel plans while promoting her latest film, Boy Kills World, telling Screen Geek that the ball is in Universal’s court:
“I can say Chris Landon has the whole thing figured out. We just need to wait for Blumhouse and Universal to get their ducks in a row. But my fingers are so crossed. I think Tree deserves her third and final chapter to bring that incredible character and franchise to a close, or a new beginning.”
The franchise still has plenty of potential, not just for a sequel or two, but even for a crossover with another Blumhouse hit. Landon has since directed the body-swapping slasher Freaky, and those involved with that film really want to bring those two worlds together.
“I will always be trumpeting Freaky Death Day ‘til I die,” said Michael Kennedy, who wrote Freaky alongside Landon. “Katherine Newton wants to make the movie, so does Jessica Rothe. I know Chris is interested.”
Landon and Blumhouse followed Happy Death Day 2 with the underseen Freaky, paving the way for a potential crossover.
At this point, the only obstacle appears to be Universal’s bookkeepers. Per Landon, the studio lost interest in Happy Death Day 3 after Happy Death Day 2U failed to make a mark at the box office; ditto for a Freaky follow-up.
“It’s very rare that you make a second sequel after a movie that didn’t perform very well,” Blum told Inverse in 2020. But the producer continues to fight for the franchise’s future, so let’s hope his efforts pay off and we get a chance to relive another time loop with Tree Gelbman.
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