The Strangers remake trilogy: Madelaine Petsch stars, Renny Harlin directing

Last month, we started to hear rumblings that three more Strangers movies were in the works, with Renny Harlin (A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master) directing at least the first of the three. That has now officially been confirmed, as Lionsgate has sent out an announcement that they are moving forward with what’s being called a “Strangers remake trilogy”! The first installment in this trilogy has already started filming in Slovakia with Madelaine Petsch (Riverdale) in the lead role and Harlin locked in to direct all three films.

Petsch is joined in the cast by Froy Gutierrez (Cruel Summer) and Gabriel Basso (Hillbilly Elegy). The screenplay for the new Strangers film has been written by Alan R. Cohen and Alan Freedland… and judging by the synopsis, the only reason to call this a remake is because there are three Strangers again, after some of them got knocked off in The Strangers: Prey at Night.

The first entry in the remake trilogy centers on

Petsch’s character as she drives cross-country with her longtime boyfriend (Gutierrez) to begin a new life in the Pacific Northwest. When their car breaks down in Venus, Oregon, they’re forced to spend the night in a secluded Airbnb, where they are terrorized from dusk till dawn by three masked strangers. Lionsgate plans from there to expanding the story in new and unexpected ways with its sequels.

The Strangers remake trilogy is being produced by Courtney Solomon, Mark Canton, Christopher Milburn, Gary Raskin, Charlie Dombeck, and Alastair Birlingham. Andrei Boncea, Dorothy Canton, and Roy Lee serve as executive producers. Rafaella Biscayn, Frame Film SK, Johanna Harlin, Juan Garcia Peredo, and Alberto Burgueno are co-producing.

Harlin provided the following statement: “My mother instilled the love of movies in me through the world of Hitchcock and other masters of suspense and horror. My breakthrough to Hollywood happened with the success of A Nightmare on Elm Street 4. It is only fitting that I get to return to my favorite genre with the incredibly well written trilogy of The Strangers. The characters and the storyline are all grounded in reality and offer me an endless tapestry of haunting visuals in bringing these movies alive.“

Solomon added: “When setting out to remake The Strangers, we felt there was a bigger story to be told, which could be as powerful, chilling, and terrifying as the original and could really expand that world. Shooting this story as a trilogy allows us to create a hyperreal and terrifying character study. We’re fortunate to be joining forces with Madelaine Petsch, an amazing talent whose character is the driving force of this story.“

Canton promises that this trilogy will be “incredibly smart, lean-forward-in-your-seat, addictively thrilling entertainment. Fans of the original film will be blown away; new audiences will discover the intensely unnerving world of The Strangers.” And Lionsgate’s Eda Kowan said, “The Strangers taps into such primal fears that it will always be relevant. But what truly sets this project apart is the way the filmmakers have expanded the story and given these characters a new life.“

Well, I didn’t expect this to be called a “remake trilogy”, but I’m definitely interested in seeing how it’s going to turn out. Does the Strangers remake trilogy plan sound interesting to you? Share your thoughts on this news by leaving a comment below.

Directed by Bryan Bertino, The Strangers was released in 2008 and had the following synopsis:

Kristen and James are expecting a relaxing weekend at a family vacation home, but their stay turns out to be anything but peaceful. First, a mysterious and dangerous woman arrives at the door while James is out on an errand. When he returns, he accidentally kills his friend Mike, mistaking him for an intruder. And then real danger does show up — in the form of three masked torturers, leaving Kristen and James struggling for survival.

Directed by Johannes Roberts, The Strangers: Prey at Night didn’t come along until 2018. That one told the following story:

Mike and his wife Cindy take their son and daughter on a road trip that becomes their worst nightmare. The family members soon find themselves in a desperate fight for survival when they arrive at a secluded mobile home park that’s mysteriously deserted — until three masked psychopaths show up to satisfy their thirst for blood.