Kathryn Newton Is Still Not Used To People Blowing Up After Ready Or Not 2 Directors’ Reunion

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Kathryn Newton is back working with the directors of Ready or Not for the sequel, Here I Come, but one thing still surprised her.

In the 2026 horror sequel, Newton will play Faith MacCaullay, the long-lost sister of Samara Weaving’s character, Grace. Ready or Not 2 continues the story right after the first film, where Grace barely escaped a deadly game with her husband’s family, only to be captured again by a secret society of incredibly wealthy and influential people. Now, handcuffed to her sister Faith, Grace must work with her if they want to survive this new, dangerous hunt, which could potentially give Grace control of the world if she wins.

Joining the previously announced Weaving and Newton, Radio Silence has brought together a fantastic cast for Ready or Not 2: Here I Come, featuring Sarah Michelle Gellar, Shawn Hatosy, David Cronenberg, Elijah Wood, Néstor Carbonell, Kevin Durand, Olivia Cheng, Varun Saranga, and Nadeem Umar-Khitab. The film premiered at SXSW and has received mostly positive reviews, with critics highlighting its exciting action and comedic moments. It currently has an 83% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

To celebrate the film’s debut at SXSW, ScreenRant’s Ash Crossan spoke with Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Kathryn Newton, and Elijah Wood about Ready or Not 2: Here I Come. Newton shared her excitement about working with the Radio Silence team again on the horror sequel, and admitted something about the making of the film still bothers her. Gellar discussed what makes this movie different from her other horror roles.

Newton Still Isn’t Used To People Blowing Up In Front Of Her

Over the last few years, Samara Weaving (known professionally as Newton) has become a prominent figure in modern horror, starring in films like the body-swapping slasher Freaky and the retro-style Lisa Frankenstein. Now, with Ready or Not 2, she’s working again with the directors of Abigail – she previously co-starred in that vampire comedy. In the sequel, she plays Sammy, an adventurous hacker whose fate takes a fiery turn after being turned by the film’s main character.

As a big fan of the first film, I was really intrigued by what the 2024 sequel had in store. Apparently, Samara Weaving’s Newton is once again dealing with people… well, exploding! It turns out all the wealthy characters in these movies made a deal with the devil to get their power, and these explosions are a direct result of that. The director, Gillett, calls the effect ‘pathing’ – because of the sound it makes – and Weaving admitted that even after doing it for the sequel, she still doesn’t get used to seeing someone explode. She even said the cleanup on set is pretty unpleasant!

When you’re making something for fans, you really focus on delivering a great experience – it’s a rare opportunity. There’s a lot of preparation and a real buzz on set, almost like being backstage at a concert. Everyone gets ready for specific moments, like a special effects scene, and there’s a lot of energy. You have to be precise and get it right the first time, because retakes can be difficult.

Wood agreed that having to recreate large-scale effects, like an explosion, is frustrating, but Gillett pointed out it also added an exciting, unpredictable element to filming. Gellar and Newton jokingly shared that making Ready or Not 2 taught them a surprising amount about movie gore, with Gellar noting that removing cake from hair is actually more difficult than removing fake blood, and Newton adding that cleaning up those effects is a complex process with many layers.

Samara Weaving, known for her work in supernatural and horror films like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and I Know What You Did Last Summer, said the gore in Ready or Not 2 was far more extreme than anything she’d experienced before. She was so surprised she asked the directors how much fake blood they used. Directors Bettinelli-Olpin and Wood revealed they used 325 gallons, and jokingly suggested they might use even more for a potential third film – perhaps even a “river of blood,” as Wood put it.

Be sure to dive into some of ScreenRant‘s other SXSW coverage with:

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  • Sydney Chandler sharing her ideal Alien: Earth season 2 story for Wendy and the Lost Boys as production ramps up
  • Chandler, Takehiro Hira, Maximilian Lee Piazza & Brian Tetsuro Ivie talk Anima‘s experimental filming
  • Ready or Not 2: Here I Come Review
  • Saviors Review
  • Robin Tunney weighing in on a Mentalist revival after its Netflix resurgence
  • The cast and producer of I Love Boosters hype Boots Riley & Keke Palmer’s “unapologetic” new crime movie
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  • David E. Kelley, Elle Fanning and the Margo’s Got Money Troubles cast on their Apple TV comedy and why Michelle Pfeiffer was the only choice to help lead it
  • Elijah Wood teasing that his mysterious Ready or Not 2: Here I Come character may be immortal
  • Wood on reuniting with his Faculty co-star Shawn Hatosy in the Ready or Not sequel
  • The Ready or Not 2: Here I Come director and cast on the sequel’s new cabal of wealthy Satanists
  • The AI Doc: Or How I Became An Apocaloptimist team breaking down just how extensive their research was
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2026-03-16 22:11