They Follow Cast, Director, Writer, And More Details

It's been nearly a decade since David Robert Mitchell's indie film "It Follows" sent ripples through the horror community. Like many of the best offerings in the genre, the creepy thriller draws parallels between the supernatural force at the heart of the film and a common real-life fear — sexually transmitted diseases.

In "It Follows," "The Ring" meets "Kids," as teens sleep with one another only to find that each time they do, an entity is passed between them, and they are doomed unless they then pass it on to someone else. The film also pulls from other horror classics like "Friday the 13th," "Halloween," and "The Thing" with the ploddingly slow, yet unrelenting pace of its villain and its ability to take on just about any form.

While many fans of the movie may have long given up on an "It Follows" sequel, there is finally one on the way, according to Variety. Furthermore, the good news keeps on coming, with both the writer-director of the movie and its central star set to return. Though we may not know everything about the upcoming sequel to the critically acclaimed horror film, there's plenty for us to dig into, as well.

Though we don't have an official release date for "They Follow," the film is expected to enter production in 2024. Furthermore, while we can't speak to the scope of the film with regard to the original, it seems likely that if it's in a similar vein, it will be a relatively speedy shoot, as there were very few special effects in "It Follows."

With this in mind and the gradual winding down of COVID-19 fears on most movie sets, we could see "They Follow" arrive in time for the spooky Halloween season in 2024. Another thing worth noting: considering the name of the sequel, there is definitely an indication that the stakes will be raised in "They Follow." Still, we can only infer certain things about the plot of the upcoming horror thriller based on the title and the cryptic ending of "It Follows."

While only one character would be pursued at a time in "It Follows," it sounds like the STD-like entity from the first film will be much more dangerous in the sequel. The title, "They Follow," suggests that either many of the creatures will be following each new person afflicted with the curse or that the entities will begin hunting multiple victims at once. 

Furthermore, following the international trauma of the COVID-19 scare, infectious diseases are now much scarier to modern audiences. With that in mind, we could also see the entity affliction going national or international, expanding the scope of the threat in a major way. All the same, being that details are scant, all we really have is conjecture here. Ultimately, much of the plot will be determined by how many characters from the original film will be set to return, as only Maika Monroe has been confirmed to be reprising her role for "They Follow."

Though it is Jay (Maika Monroe) who is mainly being targeted in "It Follows," she spends most of the film with her friends, Paul (Keir Gilchrist) and Yara (Olivia Luccardi), and her sister, Kelly (Lily Sepe). As it stands, only Monroe has been confirmed to be returning, so the sequel could also see Jay with a new circle of friends. This would make sense, assuming "They Follow" addresses the 10-year gap between the two movies.

Still, if "They Follow" were to bring back one other legacy character, it would make a lot of sense for it to be Paul. After all, "It Follows" wraps up with an ambiguous ending that suggests Paul may be the one whom the entity is following at this point. Of course, the sequel could go another way and suggest that the two have broken up, and now that Paul has since died, the entity is again coming for Jay.

Either way, the fact that Monroe is returning does offer fans some confidence that "They Follow" will be more than a cash-grab sequel and could actually have a lot of meat for horror fans to dig into.

To add further goodwill for fans to hold onto in "They Follow," David Robert Mitchell, who wrote and directed "It Follows," is set to return for both jobs once again in the sequel. Since the first film, the writer-director's work has been relatively sparse, but there was a bright spot in his 2018 film, "Under the Silver Lake." The film follows a young man (Andrew Garfield) who sets out to solve a neo-noir mystery after finding a woman (Riley Keough) swimming in his pool one night. On the other hand, "Under the Silver Lake" split viewers and critics alike, landing it divisive responses from virtually all sides.

Whether "They Follow" can be a more concrete win for Mitchell in the vein of the first film will remain to be seen. However, the legions of fans of the cult horror hit "It Follows" will no doubt be holding out hope that the writer-director can capture lightning in a bottle a second time with the terrifying concept behind the original film.

David Robert Mitchell will also be producing "They Follow." He will be joined on the project by David Kaplan, Erik Rommesmo, Rebecca Green, and Laura Smith, who were producers for "It Follows." Also joining the project as producers are Jake Weiner and Chris Bender of Good Fear Content.

Kaplan has since produced "They Come at Night" and the "Goodnight Mommy" remake. Meanwhile, Weiner and Bender, who were also producers of "Under the Silver Lake," are re-joining Mitchell for "They Follow." The two have since worked together on "My Spy" and "Mulan," and also produced the cult thriller "A History of Violence."

Either way, with many of the original team members coming back to work on "They Follow," fans should be able to take some solace that the cast and crew behind the film will be doing their best to pay off the goodwill of the original film. Now, we just have to cross our fingers and wait for more information to trickle out about the upcoming project.