They Follow, the long-awaited sequel to the 2015 horror hit It Follows, has added ten new actors to its cast, joining returning star Maika Monroe and newly confirmed co-star Naomi Ackie.
It Follows was written and directed by David Robert Mitchell and centred on Jay Height, played by Maika Monroe, a college student who becomes the target of a relentless supernatural entity after a sexual encounter. The entity can take the form of any person and slowly stalk its victims, who can only escape by passing the curse to someone else. The film also starred Keir Gilchrist, Daniel Zovatto, Jake Weary, Olivia Luccardi, and Lili Sepe as Jay’s close friends, who help her fight to survive the curse. Premiering to strong reviews at the Cannes Film Festival before being acquired by Radius-TWC for distribution, It Follows was made on a budget of just over $1 million and went on to earn approximately $23 million worldwide. It is now widely regarded as one of the defining horror films of the 2010s, helping launch both Monroe’s career and Mitchell’s rise as a filmmaker.
The new additions include Jackie Earle Haley, known for Little Children and A Nightmare on Elm Street, along with Justine Lupe from Succession and Michael Gandolfini, who recently appeared in Daredevil: Born Again. They are joined by Anna Mirodin, Jayne Taini, Tom Pecinka, Melora Walters, Ben Krieger, Natalie Shinnick, and Jan Hoag, rounding out a large ensemble cast alongside Maika Monroe and Naomi Ackie.
Naomi Ackie, known for Blink Twice and Mickey 17, had been in talks to join the film since last month, and Deadline has now confirmed she will officially star opposite Maika Monroe. Her character has not been revealed, and, like the rest of the cast, her role in the story remains under wraps.
Although plot details are still being kept secret, Maika Monroe has offered a few hints about the sequel’s direction. She has described the film as “very dark” and said the team is pushing the boundaries this time around, adding that it feels quite different from the original in tone.
David Robert Mitchell is once again writing and directing the sequel, with several key members of the original creative team also returning. These include cinematographer Mike Gioulakis and editor Julio C. Perez IV. Mitchell has also said he is proud of the screenplay, describing it as its own unique story while remaining closely connected to the original film.
Plot details for They Follow remain under wraps, but the sequel is confirmed to take place a decade after the events of the original film. The significant time jump leaves plenty of room for speculation about how both the characters and the curse itself may have evolved over the years. The project was first announced in 2023, with production originally expected to begin in early 2025 before being delayed because of scheduling conflicts, partly due to Mitchell’s work on his upcoming feature The End of Oak Street, starring Ewan McGregor and Anne Hathaway, which is scheduled to release in theatres on August 14.
Filming on They Follow is now expected to begin later this summer. The film is being produced by David Robert Mitchell alongside Jake Weiner and Chris Bender of Good Fear Content, together with several other producing partners. Neon will distribute the sequel worldwide.
With Maika Monroe and Naomi Ackie leading an expanded cast and much of the original creative team returning, They Follow is quickly becoming one of the most anticipated horror sequels currently in development. More details about the film’s story and release plans are expected to be revealed as production moves forward.
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