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The 2022 comedy-horror hit The Blackening will be getting a sequel, Variety reported.
The film's producer, MRC, and Lionsgate are in negotiations with writers Dewayne Perkins and Tracy Oliver to develop a second movie.
The Blackening follows a group of college friends who decide to reunite for the Juneteenth weekend in a cabin in the woods. They are then targeted by a killer who asks them to choose who is the Blackest among them. This is in reference to the trope where the Black character (usually just one) dies first.
Perkins originally wrote the story as a sketch for 3Peat, his comedy troupe. It was then developed as a short for Comedy Central. Oliver reached out after so they could develop it into a feature film.
The movie premiered at the TIFF Midnight Madness where it became a hit with the audience, which resulted in a Lionsgate distribution deal. The Blackening was released in theaters over the Juneteenth weekend. The film grossed a total of $18 million at the box office against a budget of $5 million, including print and advertising.
Oliver told Variety, “I keep telling the cast and other writers, there’s money out there. $3 million is a lot easier to come by than $20-50 million. We don’t have to necessarily wait for a studio to say ‘Yes’ anymore. For a Black person, that’s inspiring.”
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Perkins said that he sees “The Blackening” as a franchise like the Scary Movie instead of Knives Out.
“Same group, sprinkle in some new people,” he stated.
“I feel like we’ve got something good, and I love the dynamic, but fresh blood always turns things up a little bit,” Perkins continued.
