Jessica Rothe hopeful for Happy Death Day 3

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

It has been over a year since HAPPY DEATH DAY 2U hit theaters and fans of the offbeat comedy/slasher films have been awaiting word of a third installment. Released in 2017, HAPPY DEATH DAY became a surprise success when it grossed $55.6 million at the domestic box office and $125.4 million worldwide, all on a $4.8 million budget. HAPPY DEATH DAY 2U came in 2019 but it proved to be less successful, pulling in $28.1 million domestically and $64.6 million globally. What has had fans holding out hope for a third film is, despite the diminishing returns, the second film only cost $9 million to make so Blumhouse Productions and Universal Pictures still pulled in a profit.  Writer/director Christopher Landon has expressed his desire for a third installment and now its star, Jessica Rothe, is echoing that desire in a new interview.

While chatting with "ComingSoon.net" about her new film, VALLEY GIRL, Rothe explored the possibilities for another DEATH DAY installment and she's hopeful they'll be able to complete the trilogy that Landon had in mind:

"I would love if we had the opportunity to complete the trilogy. I know that Chris has it all mapped out in his genius brain, but I also know that we only want to complete it if we get to do it right."

Rothe also said she'd be willing to wait as long as it takes to return because she loved playing her character and thinks she can be explored even twenty years from now:

"I think it’s just a question of seeing if the opportunity for that exists in the world. But the funny thing is I have a feeling whether it’s now or in five years or ten or twenty if we pull a Jamie Lee Curtis from Halloween and Tree comes back as a badass 50-year-old, I know that we will get to tell the rest of the story. I love Tree, I love that character so much and I feel very, very grateful to have been a part of that."

HAPPY DEATH DAY followed a college student named Tree (Rothe) who must relive the day of her murder over and over again, in a loop that will end only when she discovers the killer's identity. On top of being a box office hit, HAPPY DEATH DAY also scored with critics, landing a 71% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. HAPPY DEATH DAY 2U, which leaned more on its comedic elements with a touch more sci-fi, once again follows Tree who is accidentally transported to another dimension, where she must relive a different version of the same day repeatedly as she tries to return home, while a new killer is on the loose. Even though the film didn't earn as much at the box office, critics still found the sequel solid with a 70% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The films also star Israel Broussard, Ruby Modine, Rachel Matthews, Charles Aitken, Phi Vu, Sarah Yarkin, & Steve Zissis.

I would like an opportunity to see a third installment because the two first two films were surprisingly solid and I'd even say the sequel was a tad better than the original. I really didn't see the first two films coming and I definitely had low expectations going in but I left both movies pleasantly surprised. Hopefully, Blumhouse allows Landon and company to complete the trilogy in some capacity. 

Do YOU want to see a third HAPPY DEATH DAY installment?