With lower budgets than the average Hollywood fare, A24 has gotten in the habit of delivering commercially viable films with high entertainment value. With the directorial debut ofDanny PhilippouandMichael Philippou, in the horror feature,Talk to Me, the company was able to do it again. On a reported budget of $4.5 million, the film became2023’s summer smash horror film,earning animpressive $92 million at the box office. Unsurprisingly, the film wassummoned for a sequelat A24 with Danny declaring, “There’s scenes for a sequel, yeah.” In anticipation of what could be the start of a new horror franchise, the film’s star,Sophie Wilde, has offered an update regarding a potential return toTalk to Me 2, after deliveringone of the best horror performances ever.
The ending ofTalk to Mecame across as somewhat ambiguous. Wilde’s Mia finds herself in part of the spirit world, and soon appears at another house party, after being summoned by another group of unsuspecting teens usingthe embalmed hand. This leaves open the possibility of Wilde’s return in some capacity. Speaking withTotal Film, Wilde offered a somewhat disappointing update regarding her involvement but stated her interest in playing a part in the production of the sequel. She said:
“I don’t know. I feel like it’s still a bit hush hush because I mean, the boys [filmmakers Danny Philippou and Michael Philippou], they’re such workaholics. I know they’re focusing on a bunch of other projects that they’re doing at the moment. So I don’t know, it’s all up in the air. But I said to them, I was like, “I’m gonna get actual FOMO if I’m not in this film, so can I just come on set and be like a boom operator? I will be an assistant director, I just want to be involved.”
The success ofTalk to Meis easily quantifiable with critical acclaim and terrific box office returns evident for A24. Some of the praise the horror feature received came from renowned names, withThe Lord of the Ringsdirector,Peter Jackson, describing the feature as “relentlessly scary and disturbing– in the best possible way.” The film was met with strong reviews, withCollider’s Chase Hutchison writing:
“Sometimes, horror can be downright nasty. This doesn’t just refer to the gore, but the way it is all used. InTalk To Me, the feature debut from YouTubers turned directors Danny and Michael Philippou, possession becomes a way by which to pulverize their characters. It is these moments that are the highlights of the experience in all their stomach-churning viscera. As they get more outrageous, it comes at the audience with brutal and bloody cinematic madness that makes the most of the chaos that unfolds before you.”
There Is Plenty of Lore to Explore in a ‘Talk to Me’ Sequel
As of this moment, it’s not entirely clear what a second summoning will look like, with the film’s directors previously revealing thatthey already have an entire prequel filmedthat focuses on brothers Cole (Ari McCarthy) and Duckett (Sunny Johnson). A24, on the other hand, is looking ahead already, confirming in a previous social media post thatTalk to Me 2would get a theatrical release. Speaking in an interview with Collider’s ownPerri Nemiroff,Danny Philippou told Nemiroff there was sufficient information to channel into potential sequels, saying:
“Even down to the writing on the hand. There’s a lore and a story and a deep mythology. Even the spirits that are connecting with every character’s emotions. Everything’s really thought out and put through a mythology, hopefully, we can expand on if we were able to do a sequel. But yeah, we wanted the characters to be out of their depths. We didn’t explore it that much, so we just sort of hinted at it with the characters. But yes, everything’s ironed out and there’s a whole big bible. It’s called the mythology bible. So we’ve got that.”
With the Philippou brothers currently working ontheirStreet Fightermovie, it may be a while before they return to theTalk to Meseries. While we wait for more information onTalk to Me 2,you can watch the original horror movie on Netflix.
Talk to Me
When a group of friends discover how to conjure spirits using an embalmed hand, they become hooked on the new thrill, until one of them goes too far and unleashes terrifying supernatural forces.
Watch on Netflix
