Johnny’s back, baby! Variety reports that a sequel to In a Violent Nature is in the early stages of development from IFC Films and Shudder.
Unlike other slasher movies, In a Violent Nature stuck with the killer, a Jason Voorhees-type figure who slowly stalked victims throughout the woods before dispatching them in a variety of extremely brutal ways. The news of a sequel was unveiled during the Bold Voice of Contemporary Horror panel at San Diego Comic-Con, with Johnny himself making an appearance to terrify the audience. Chris Nash, who wrote and directed the first film, will return to pen the screenplay for the sequel.
“‘In a Violent Nature’ demonstrated that there continues to be a yearning for new perspectives in the horror landscape. We knew immediately that this distinctive take on the slasher would enthrall fans and are glad to see the community embrace a new slasher icon in Johnny,” said Scott Shooman, head of AMC Networks’ film group. “With the sequel, we aim to prove that Johnny can be bigger, meaner, and his kills can only get more impressive.“
Producer Peter Kuplowsky added, “‘In a Violent Nature’ was originally conceived as a meta-sequel within a fictional slasher series, so we were always imagining mayhem beyond the scope of the original film. That we now have the opportunity to continue following Johnny on his restless walk has us feeling incredibly grateful to our incredible partners at IFC Films / Shudder who believed in Chris’ vision from day one. We are thrilled to return for a new chapter and are excited to deploy Johnny as a conduit to further experiments in the genre.“
The first film proved to be quite divisive, with some viewers turned off by its slow, plodding nature. Some of the kills, the Yoga kill in particular, proved to be highly memorable, but our own Tyler Nichols wasn’t a fan. “In A Violent Nature is easily the most disappointed I’ve been with a horror film in quite some time,” Nichols wrote in his review. “As a massive slasher fan, I had very high expectations. The idea of deconstructing the genre and elevating it is a lifelong dream for most fans. Or heck, even simplifying it and distilling it down to its essence could have also worked. Yet this does none of that. It simply takes a very bland slasher script, and gives it some Gus Van Sant camerawork and editing. And when that results in 70% of the movie just being a guy walking for long periods; it ultimately feels pointless.” You can check out the rest of his review right here.
A teaser poster for In a Violent Nature sequel was also released, featuring Johnny’s weapon of choice. Are you excited by this horror sequel?