‘Scream’ Directors Felt More Pressure on ‘Ready or Not 2’

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The directors of Ready or Not 2: Here I Come say that making horror films can be surprisingly stressful. Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin previously directed the recent Scream and Scream VI movies, as well as the 2019 horror hit Ready or Not, where Samara Weaving plays a bride forced to fight for her life during a deadly game on her wedding night.

The sequel to Ready or Not, titled Ready or Not 2, raises the stakes with even more families pursuing Grace. This time, her sister, Faith, is also caught in the terrifying game. Despite being a smaller project than working on a large franchise like Scream, the directors actually felt more pressure with the Ready or Not follow-up. They recently discussed this in SFX Magazine (as reported by GamesRadar), explaining how returning to their original concept felt different than working with an established franchise like Scream.

Speaking about ‘Ready or Not,’ directors Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett expressed their deep affection for the original film, calling it ‘special.’ Gillett explained that this fondness also created a different kind of pressure when making the sequel. They weren’t just excited about continuing the story, but also wanted to see if they could improve upon it and take the material in new directions.

Creating a follow-up to something so deeply personal was both thrilling and stressful, perhaps more so than with the first Scream movie. After six films, the Scream franchise has a well-defined identity, but this new project felt different.

We wanted to create something that captured the spirit and excitement of the original movie, but also felt fresh, unique, and stood on its own as a separate experience.

Bettinelli-Olpin saw the potential sequel to Ready or Not as both a thrilling opportunity and a difficult undertaking. He explained that:

As a film fan, one of the things that really grabbed me about this story was the idea of denying the character the peace she’d worked so hard for. We thought, what if we just threw her right back into the thick of things? Knowing how capable she is, that simple setup felt like a fantastic and challenging starting point for the whole thing.

‘Ready or Not 2’ & ‘Scream 7’ Hit Theaters in 2026


Searchlight Pictures

The horror sequel, Ready or Not 2: Here I Come, has had a shifting release date, but is now scheduled to premiere in theaters on March 20th. The film boasts a strong cast, including Kathryn Newton, Elijah Wood, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Shawn Hatosy, Kevin Durand, and David Cronenberg, alongside Weaving. Directors Gillett and Bettinelli-Olpin opted to focus on this sequel instead of continuing with the Scream franchise, but a new Scream movie is coming out just days after Ready or Not 2.

The next Scream movie, Scream 7, will be released on February 27th, and it features a change behind the camera. Kevin Williamson, the original writer of the first Scream and the creative force behind the entire series, is now directing for the first time. The film promises high stakes and will see Neve Campbell and Courteney Cox returning to their roles, with the daughter of Sidney Prescott becoming the new target of Ghostface. While both Scream and Ready or Not 2 have potential at the box office, Ready or Not 2 may need to work harder to stand out, given the wealth of exciting horror options currently available to fans.




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2026-02-22 01:26