A24 released the supernatural horror Talk to Me in 2023, and it quickly became a massive success, surpassing Hereditary to become the indie powerhouse's highest-grossing horror film. Both critics and audiences praised the movie, offering largely positive reviews. Given the overwhelming response, it came as no surprise when the studio greenlit a sequel just a month after its theatrical release.
Talk to Me directors Danny and Michael Philippou were already on board for a sequel before it was even officially confirmed. In a previous interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the brothers revealed that they had started writing scenes for a second film while still working on the script for the first movie. They just needed the green light from A24 to move forward. That green light came shortly after with some details about the Talk to Me sequel being revealed.
At that time, we found out that the sequel would be called Talk 2 Me. However, for the sake of this article, we’ll refer to it as Talk to Me 2. The official logo for the sequel was also unveiled, and we learned that Danny and Michael Philippou would return to co-direct, with Danny once again co-writing the script alongside Bill Hinzman. Unfortunately, that’s where the news stopped. Since then, there had been almost complete radio silence, leaving fans uncertain about the film’s progress. Now, we finally have an update on the highly anticipated Talk to Me 2, but it's not necessarily the news we were hoping for.
At a preview screening of the upcoming A24 horror film Bring Her Back on March 28, IndieWire had the opportunity to speak with the Philippou brothers about their other future projects, and Talk to Me 2 came up in the conversation. The twin brothers shared where they are regarding the sequel, and from their comments, it seems that progress on the film is still in the early stages and that we won't be seeing it anytime soon. Danny told the news outlet that he and Hinzman have written two scripts for the sequel, each focusing on a different character and storyline. However, they're unsure which direction to pursue.
"A part of it is, I can’t decide which is the best avenue to take." - Danny Philippou
Another issue is that the Philippou brothers are busy with other projects that they plan to release before the Talk to Me sequel. They're currently working on post-production for Bring Her Back, and once they finish that process, Michael will head to Mexico to work on a new documentary that he and Danny are making together. Danny told IndieWire that Michael will likely spend the second half of the year editing this project. Meanwhile, he and Hinzman will be working on another horror film together. Once they finish the script for that project, Danny mentioned that he plans to return to Talk to Me 2 and finalize the script.
"So I’d say 2025 ‘Bring Her Back,’ 2026 the documentary, 2027 [the new] horror, and then ‘Talk to Me 2.' Maybe, I don’t know.” - Michael Philippou
From Michael's comments, it seems that Talk to Me 2 won’t be arriving in theaters until after 2027. So, perhaps we can expect it in 2028? That's a long wait for fans eager for the sequel, but it seems the Philippou brothers are determined to make sure it’s worth it. For now, we'll just have to look forward to their other projects. Bring Her Back is scheduled to hit U.S. theaters on May 30, so fans won’t have to wait too long to experience their next horror film.
Stay tuned to 1428 Elm for any new updates on Talk to Me 2.