After warding off malevolent spirits in the 2014 sleeper hit Oculus, Mike Flanagan and Annalise Basso are primed to dust themselves off and tackle the supernatural once again with Ouija 2, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Summoned alongside co-writer Jeff Howard, it’s now understood Flanagan will direct the horror sequel, with Annalise Basso assuming one of the lead roles. Coming by way of genre maestros Blumhouse Productions, Ouija 2 will be aiming to emulate the box office success of its predecessor, which took in a staggering $102 million off the back of a meagre $2 million budget – such is the Blumhouse way.
As a matter of fact, the production house also oversaw last year’s Oculus, a micro-budget horrorfest that had Karen Gillan and Brenton Thwaites’ siblings battle a tormented demon that held an innate connection to the Lasser Glass antique mirror. And while Basso had a minor role in the domestic horror, it’s understood that her role in Ouija 2 will herald a bigger chunk of screentime as she assumes the role of a young girl mourning the loss of her father.
Aside from that, there’s nary a mention of a concrete story for Flanagan’s feature. Such is the low-key nature of Blumhouse productions, it’s likely that the script is still taking shape under Flanagan and Howard’s watchful eye, before the sequel scurries in front of the camera in earnest either later this year or the beginning of next.
Blumhouse, Universal and Platnium Dune have aligned Ouija 2 into next year’s coveted Halloween release window, with Mike Flanagan’s spooky sequel set to loom into theaters on October 21, 2016.