Heretic – What Have The Directors Said About Potential Sequels?

Heretic - What Have The Directors Said About Potential Sequels?

Key Takeaways

  • The directors of Heretic are open to ‘spiritual’ sequels, exploring controversial religious issues in unique ways.
  • Hugh Grant’s performance in Heretic was praised as a dark and challenging role, signaling a career renaissance.
  • Potential Heretic sequels may not follow typical traditions, hinting at deeper exploration of religion.

As a seasoned gamer and horror aficionado who has spent countless nights navigating through haunted mansions and battling supernatural forces, I can wholeheartedly say that Heretic has left an indelible mark on my gaming-turned-cinematic experiences. The directors’ openness to ‘spiritual’ sequels exploring controversial religious issues in unique ways is music to my ears. It’s not every day that a horror movie dares to delve into the depths of faith and belief systems, challenging the audience to question their own perspectives.


2024 saw “Heretic” as one of the most successful horror films, largely due to Hugh Grant’s captivating portrayal that earned praise from both audiences and critics. Directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, this chilling tale revolves around Mr. Reed (Grant), an enigmatic character who invites two young Mormon women to his eerie mansion for a religious discussion. However, the conversation takes an ominous twist. In a recent interview, the directors hinted at potential sequels in the future.

In October 2024, the movie “Heretic” was launched, and it has since climbed up A24’s list of top-grossing films. This success has predictably sparked conversations about sequels, with the directors eager to express their opinions on the subject. However, fans might not anticipate the direction that any potential future installments in this franchise could take.

The Directors Of Heretic Are Interested In ‘Spiritual’ Sequels

Heretic
StarringHugh Grant, Sophie Thatcher, Chloe East and Topher Grace
Written ByScott Beck and Bryan Woods
Directed ByScott Beck and Bryan Woods

Heads up, fellow gamers! In case you haven’t heard, at the finale of ‘Heretic’, poor ol’ Hugh Grant’s character, Mr Reed, takes a brutal beating that seems to seal his fate. This means we won’t be seeing him again in a ‘Heretic 2’, unless his supposed supernatural shenanigans were for real. Now, here’s the interesting part: Scott Beck and Bryan Woods aren’t ruling out expanding the ‘Heretic’ universe, but they’re aiming for something beyond the usual sequel formula. They shared some insights on their plans in a recent chat with Variety.

Some topics we’ve discussed for future projects share similarities with spiritual successors, exploring themes like religion, cults, or controversial subjects that push boundaries. These projects delve deep into uncomfortable territories, offering perspectives that may not be commonly found in mainstream media. What made ‘Heretic’ intriguing was its ability to spark meaningful conversations about faith and belief systems. This is a quality we aim to maintain in our upcoming works, as they can serve as a catalyst for thought-provoking discussions among friends, family, or loved ones. Given the current divided and polarized world, such discourse remains fascinating to us, and we wish to incorporate it into some of our future projects.

This idea of exploring different angles of the conversation about religion via social commentary in ‘spiritual sequels’ is a great idea. They are right, a lot of horror movies appear to have religious connotations on the surface, but they don’t actually delve into the nitty-gritty of the controversial subject. This is where Heretic stood out, as it actually challenged the notion of religion head on. The particular story and the characters in Heretic might be completed to a satisfactory point, but the conversation surrounding religion still needs exploring further and could form the basis of a series of well-thought-out sequels.

What Did The Heretic Directors Say About Working With Hugh Grant?

Heretic - What Have The Directors Said About Potential Sequels?

In recent times, Hugh Grant has been undergoing a sort of career transformation, moving away from romantic comedies towards more intense roles, much like Matthew McConaughey did a few years ago. His current role as Mr Reed in the film Heretic might be his darkest character to date, and directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods were highly satisfied with Grant’s performance in this horror movie. According to Woods, he shared this sentiment with Variety.

We’ve been astonished by Hugh! We’re well acquainted with his delightful romantic comedies from our childhood. However, a decade ago, when we watched ‘Cloud Atlas’, we spotted him in the credits and discovered he had portrayed multiple roles. It was thrilling to witness such an artist push their boundaries. Since then, over the past ten years, he has, in our opinion, evolved into one of the most remarkable character actors in film.

It was a stroke of genius to cast Hugh Grant as the enigmatic villain in Heretic, and the directors are clearly on board with the ‘Hugh-naissance’. Cloud Atlas showcased Grant’s ability to shift between different personas, making him perfect for Mr Reed. However, Grant has been riding on the crest of a wave for some time now, with roles that actually challenge him as an actor. Fans were used to seeing him as the dopey romantic lead in a string of hit comedies, but there was a sense that he wasn’t quite challenging himself as much as he could. The directors of Heretic really did get the best out of their leading man, and in many ways, it’s a shame Mr Reed was killed off, as there was so much more to explore with his character. Having said that, ‘spiritual sequels’ do seem to be the best way to go with the Heretic-verse.

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2024-11-15 04:04