FilmDistrict, Alliance Films and Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions announced today that they will bring Insidious Chapter 2, the sequel to last years hit film Insidious, to U.S. theatres on August 30, 2013 via FilmDistrict.
Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Lin Shaye, and Ty Simpkins will reprise their roles in the film which will be directed by the original’s James Wan from a script by the returning Leigh Whannell. Jason Blum, who produced Insidious, is producing the low-budget sequel through his Blumhouse Productions. Brian Kavanaugh Jones, Oren Peli , Steven Schneider, and Charles Layton are executive producing. Production on the sequel is set to begin on January 15, 2013 in Los Angeles.
Peter Schlessel, FilmDistricts CEO, stated, We are all very excited to see the next chapter of James and Leighs vision of the Further. Its great to be in business again with Blumhouse, Alliance and Sony.
Blumhouse is committed to empowering filmmakers to tell their stories and we are excited to do that once again with the team from the first ‘Insidious’ including James and Leigh and the original cast, said Blum. “We also look forward to working with our partners on the first film- FilmDistrict, Alliance and Sony.”
Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions acquired the U.S. rights to the film in conjunction with FilmDistrict. Insidious Chapter 2 is being financed by Alliance Films. FilmDistrict will distribute the film theatrically in the United States, with Sony handling the majority of ancillary rights in the U.S. Alliance Films will distribute in Canada, the UK (via its Momentum Pictures subsidiary) and Spain (via Aurum), and Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions will distribute in all other international territories.
The first film told the story of Josh and Renai Lambert and their son Dalton, confronting the demons that possess the young boy. The project was picked up by Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival and distributed by FilmDistrict. It was released on April 1, 2011, and has grossed $97 million worldwide. With the pictures reported $1.5 million budget, it has led to the film being called the most profitable film of 2011.
Wan most recently directed The Conjuring for Warner Bros. The film, which reunites him with Wilson, will open on July 19, 2013. Wan is also set to direct a feature adaptation of the hit television series MacGyver for Warner Bros.