Body Horror-Fueled Follow-Up to ‘The Wretched’ in the Works: Directors Return for The Sequel

‘The Wretched’ is a 2019 horror film about a teenage boy who battles an evil witch disguised as his neighbor. It was directed by the Pierce Brothers and stars John-Paul Howard and Piper Curda.

The film premiered at the Fantasia International Film Festival in 2019 and was released in drive-in theaters and on VOD in May 2020. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it became the first movie since ‘Avatar’ (2009) to be number one at the box office for six weeks in a row.

It’s safe to say that the movie was an unexpected hit during the Pandemic, and now it appears that the movie is getting a sequel.

According to Variety, Directors Brett and Drew Pierce are returning to direct ‘The Wretched 2,’ with production starting in September. They explained that independent horror has become more popular recently, and audiences want more original stories. The brothers plan to take the story further, exploring darker themes and pushing the body horror to uncomfortable extremes.

Independent horror has been staking out its claim at the box office in the last couple of years with films like ‘Terrifier 3’ and ‘Late Night With the Devil,’ and audiences are craving more from these original stories and voices. It just seems like the right time to bring our Witch back as she was born out of us wanting more from our creature features that we just weren’t getting.

The directors teased that in ‘The Wretched 2,’ they plan to take the story and body horror to new, unsettling extremes.

We’re going to push this story and the body horror into uncomfortable places.

The original movie received generally positive reviews. Critics praised its atmosphere, suspense, and unsettling effects. The main pet peeve with the film was perhaps that it was too focused on teen angst and not engaging enough to connect with audiences.

Have something to add? Let us know in the comments below!