Not too long after Netflix dropped the bomb with THE CLOVERFIELD PARADOX’s release, now Blumhouse is dishing out some surprises of its very own. The studio took to the stage at SXSW this weekend to announce that the secret movie they’ve been making is indeed a sequel to their 2015 hit, UNFRIENDED, called UNFRIENDED: DARK WEB.
The movie’s title was unveiled by Blumhouse’s Jason Blum, all before being screened for viewers at the Alamo Ritz in Austin, Texas. According to the synopsis, the movie is about “A 20-something finds a cache of hidden files on his new laptop and is thrust into the deep waters of the dark web. From the makers of Unfriended, this thriller unravels in real-time, entirely on a computer screen. A warning for the digital age.”
Here is an image released with the unveiling:
The directorial debut of Stephen Susco (THE GRUDGE), DARK WEB follows the same format of the original, taking place all on a desktop computer in real time. The first movie centered on a Skype-esque chat session, the young members of which are soon subject to paranormal activity. The movie was a hit, making $64 million worldwide off a $1 million budget, earning solid reviews in the process.
The early reviews are likening it to the first movie, hinting that the difference is that this one is much more vicious. I didn’t hate the first film but have had no desire to watch it since I saw it in theaters. The premise is clever enough to make me curious about this second one, but being someone who is on my computer for hours and hours a day it may be a movie I should want to avoid.