Rebel Ridge director Jeremy Saulnier’s next movie will be a fun Halloween story

The thriller Rebel Ridge was announced back in 2019, but took five years to make its way out into the world because the production was delayed by the pandemic lockdowns, then by the departure of lead actor John Boyega a few weeks into filming, reportedly due to “family reasons.” Saulnier has said that the making of Rebel Ridge saw him “slamming right into the Hollywood I’ve tried to avoid,” and, “We came back three years in a row to make that movie.” But the troubles were worth it, because the finished film was well-received (you can read our 8/10 review HERE) and a success on Netflix. Now, Saulnier is looking forward to his next movie – and he’s going back to his roots to tell a fun Halloween story.

Saulnier’s previous credits include Murder Party, Blue Ruin, Green Room, Hold the Dark, and episodes of True Detective season 3. During an interview on The Playlist podcast, Saulnier said he’s looking to make something along the lines of Murder Party and Green Room. He told The Playlist (with thanks to MovieWeb for the transcription), “I’m currently writing something that’s a little more in the Green Room universe. Because with Rebel Ridge, I was exploring a new side. I was just tired of everything I do being oppressive. But I’ve kinda gone back. It has to do with music and Halloween and fun shit.”

This sounds great to me, because that description is reminiscent of Saulnier’s 2007 horror comedy feature debut Murder Party, which has been a favorite of mine ever since it was first released on DVD (and remains my favorite Saulnier movie). We just learned a couple of days ago that Murder Party is finally set to receive a Blu-ray release, thanks to a deal that OCN Distribution, sister company of the genre-centric home video label Vinegar Syndrome, has made with distributor Magnolia Pictures and their genre imprint Magnet Releasing.

Written and directed by Saulnier, Murder Party begins when a man gets a random invitation to a Halloween party, and when he arrives he finds he’s the guest of honor at his very own gut-wrenching murder. Made on a budget somewhere in the $200,000 range, the film stars Chris Sharp, Sandy Barnett, Macon Blair, Paul Goldblatt, William Lacey, Stacy Rock, Skei Saulnier, Bill Tangradi, Beryl Guceri, Beau Sia, and a dog named Puff Snooty.

Of course, the music part of the description also brings to mind Green Room, Saulnier’s very cool 2016 action thriller, which told the following story: After witnessing a murder, a punk rock band is forced into a vicious fight for survival against a group of maniacal skinheads. That one starred Patrick Stewart, Imogen Poots, Anton Yelchin, Mark Webber, Alia Shawkat, Macon Blair, and Eric Edelstein.

What do you think of Jeremy Saulnier returning to his Murder Party / Green Room roots with his next movie? Let us know by leaving a comment below.