Malignant 2 - What We Know So Far

James Wan has seemingly done it again. Following the smash-hit successes of horror films like "Saw," "Insidious," and "The Conjuring," the Australian filmmaker has once again delivered a master class in spooky cinematic storytelling in the form of "Malignant." The film centers its story on a young woman named Madison (Annabelle Wallis) who finds herself tormented by Gabriel -– a mysterious and seemingly supernatural being from her past who has returned to go on a bloody rampage through Seattle. Knowing the film's bizarre twists and turns, to say anything further would only spoil it for newcomers.

The mysterious horror thriller debuted in theaters and on HBO Max on September 10, and while it has not performed as well as expected at the box office (via Forbes), its wild plot twists have much of the horror community buzzing. With all of the hype surrounding "Malignant," there is also ample discussion about a possible sequel. Specifically, it's worth addressing any potential release dates, cast announcements, and plot details that may emerge. With all of that on the table, let's dive in and look at what we currently know about "Malignant 2" at this time.

As "Malignant 2" has not officially received a green light from Warner Bros. yet, the potential sequel does not have a formal release date at this time. However, if a sequel does come together, it would make quite a bit of sense for Warner Bros. to push its release further into fall to capitalize on the Halloween season. October has become particularly notable for horror franchises like "Halloween," "Paranormal Activity," and James Wan's own creation, "Saw," so releasing a second "Malignant" film during the spookiest time of the year would make sense from a business perspective.

With that said, James Wan is also a known box office draw at this point, and a revised release schedule for "Malignant 2" could potentially see the sequel move from September to the summer months. Though there's no concrete evidence of this happening yet, there's ample precedent for it. Specifically, the first "Insidious" film debuted in April, and both of James Wan's "The Conjuring" films found success in releasing in the summer months.

Though Gabriel racks up an impressive body count throughout "Malignant," most of the film's main characters make it to the end of the story with their lives – despite the fakeout involving Madison's sister and birth mother in the climax. With that in mind, it seems reasonable to assume that if "Malignant 2" happens and focuses on the same characters, we could see a return of Annabelle Wallis as Madison, Maddie Hasson as Sydney, and Susanna Thompson as Jeanne. Also potentially on the table to return are George Young and Michole Briana White as Kekoa Shaw and Regina Moss, respectively.

That being said, a sequel to "Malignant" would almost certainly need to bring in new characters, even if it still focused its story on the original core ensemble. If Gabriel manages to emerge from Madison's skull, he will likely come with an even more insatiable bloodlust due to his anger at being imprisoned. With that in mind, "Malignant 2" would need its own version of characters like Zoe Bell's Scorpion –- helpless victims for Gabriel to eviscerate when he takes control.

Though "Malignant 2" has not formally gotten the green light yet, the first film leaves things off in a way that keeps the door open for a sequel. In the final, pivotal moments of "Malignant," Madison manages to seize control of her body back from Gabriel and manages to put him in the mind prison that he had initially kept her in when he emerged. Gabriel asserts that he will one day get out of the trap she has left for him, but she responds that she will be ready for him if he ever does.

If a sequel to "Malignant" materializes, it will likely continue to deal with the fallout of Gabriel's first rampage. Madison has officially been reunited with her birth mother, leaving room for further exploration of how Gabriel tormented both of them prior to the first film's events. The only thing that really needs to be figured out is how Gabriel could eventually break free and take control once more – and whether that could ultimately cheapen Madison's initial victory. That being said, James Wan has a strong track record of turning surprise horror hits into franchises with his efforts on projects like "The Conjuring" and "Insidious," so all eyes are on him to potentially do the same with "Malignant."