TALK TO ME DIRECTORS UNVEIL NEXT A24 HORROR MOVIE STARRING SALLY HAWKINS

Less than a year since Talk to Me became A24’s highest-grossing horror movie of all time, directing duo Danny Philippou and Michael Philippou have finally found their next horror project with A24. This will mark the Australian filmmakers’ second feature-length directorial project, following the critical and commercial success of 2023’s coming-of-age supernatural thriller.

According to Deadline, the Philippou brothers will be reuniting with A24 for their newest original horror movie titled Bring Her Back. Oscar-nominated actor Sally Hawkins has officially signed on to portray the leading role in the upcoming project, which is currently slated to start production this coming summer. This will be Hawkins’ first venture into the horror genre. She is best known for her acclaimed performances in movies like Happy-Go-Lucky, Blue Jasmine, the Paddington movies and The Shape of Water. The Golden Globe winner’s most recent acting credit was playing Timothée Chalamet’s mother in last year’s prequel musical Wonka.

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Bring Her Back will be written and directed by the Philippou brothers. Further details about its plot and characters remained under wraps. The filmmaking duo will also be reuniting with producers Samantha Jennings and Kristina Ceyton from Causeway Films, who previously produced Talk to Me. In addition to Bring Her Back, the Philippou brothers are also developing the sequel to the 2023 horror thriller, which was originally announced back in August 2023 following the movie’s successful theatrical run. Tentatively titled as Talk 2 Me, the sequel currently has no release date attached to it yet.

In Talk to Me, the film centered around a grief-stricken teenage girl who finds herself playing a game where a spirit can possess the player’s body for 90 seconds by holding an embalmed hand. Things go terribly wrong when she decides to break the rules and use the game to communicate with her late mother. It starred Sophie Wilde as Mia, Miranda Otto as Sue, Zoe Terakes as Hayley, Alexandra Jensen as Jade, and Joe Bird as Riley. At the moment, it remains unknown if some of the original cast members will be returning for the sequel. In a previous interview, Wilde confirmed that the Philippou brothers haven’t contacted her about potentially reprising her role in Talk 2 Me.

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When Did Talk to Me Sequel Development Began?

According to the directing duo, ideas for Talk 2 Me began during the pre-production of the first installment. "While writing the first film, you can't help but write scenes for a second film," Danny Philippou said. "So there's so many scenes. The mythology was so thick, and if A24 gave us the opportunity, we wouldn't be able to resist. I feel like we'd jump at it." Besides writing the sequel, they had also already filmed prequel clips, which were originally going to be used as part of the first film’s promotions. However, since the said clips were filmed in the form of phone footage, "they just kept getting removed for violence and bullying." The Philippou brothers are currently unsure if they’ll be able to use the prequel clips again in the future.