Horror sequels are always awesome no matter how bad they get. For the most part, you can expect that the sequel to a horror movie is not going to be very good, but we will still watch them anyway. 2017 is going to be a great year for horror sequels, for better or for worse, and we have compiled a list of all of the movies to keep on your radar this year.
Resident Evil: The Final Chapter
Release Date: January 27
The newest and last (we’ll believe it when we see it) in the Resident Evil franchise is hitting theaters at the end of January. Resident Evil: The Final Chapter takes place directly after Resident Evil: Retribution where Alice is forced to go back to where it all began. The movie is filled with some familiar faces, most notably Claire Redfield played by Ali Larter. The official synopsis is that Raccoon City is building an army to take out the few living survivors left in the world and the only one who can stop them is Alice. This movie is not going to throw anything new at us, but that is okay. It will be a knockdown, drag out action-horror film that will probably hold your attention to the very end.
Rings
Release Date: February 3
This next installment in the Ring series comes 12 years after The Ring 2. The main character watches the famed video in order to protect her boyfriend and finds something new that no one has ever noticed before. Will she figure out the secret behind the video before her 7 days are up? The one thing this movie has going for it is that it will introduce the franchise to a new generation.
Annabelle 2
Release Date: August 11
The demonic doll is back for a second round after being a spin-off/prequel to The Conjuring. From what I can gather, Annabelle 2 is a prequel to the original Annabelle and may tell a slightly different story about the origin of the doll. The demonic possession movie theme has pretty much run its course for most movie goers, but this film surely promises to squeeze out any last bit of terror left in the genre.
World War Z 2
Release Date: Suspended
Tom Cruise has to go up against another Hollywood Heartthrob on June 9th when Brad Pitt reprises his role for World War Z 2. There is not a lot known about the sequel to the movie based on a best-selling book. What we do know is that the first movie showed Pitt’s character racing against time to stop the Zombie pandemic and save the human race. The original was more about the world government’s reaction to the pandemic than the zombies themselves, so we will most likely see more of that unfold.
Amityville: The Awakening
Release Date: June 30
Amityville: The Awakening is another installment of the rollercoaster Amityville franchise. The movie follows a family who moves into the famed home with their comatose brother. After settling in the house the brother makes a miraculous recovery which would be great if there wasn’t a bunch of other weird stuff happening. Soon the kids find out that their mom hasn’t been completely honest about their new home. It has a few recognizable faces, which hopefully means that it will be one of the better entries in the Amityville collection.
Alien: Covenant
Release Date: May 19
Alien: Covenant doubles as a sequel and prequel at the same time. It is a sequel to Ridley Scott’s Prometheus, but a prequel to the original Alien film. The crew of the ship Covenant stumble upon a planet which may be the home of humanity’s creators along with other beings, including the Xenomorphs. Beyond that there is not much known about the movie. With Scott at the helm, this movie promises to be a good one and stay true to the Alien franchise that so many of us love.
Wrong Turn 7
Release Date: October
Wrong Turn 7 looks a little sketchy because there is not a lot of information about it, but producers swear that it will be released this October. I am guessing that a movie like this doesn’t take too long from script to editing so it is entirely possible for an October release date even if they haven’t started filming yet. What we do know is that it will be about the murderous backwoods Hillicker family that continues to terrorize those who become lost in the West Virginia woods.
Insidious: Chapter 4
Release Date: October 20
The plot of Insidious: Chapter 4 has not yet been released, but we know that it will continue to follow psychic Elise Rainier. Whether it is in the past or present, we don’t know. These movies are all pretty repetitive so I doubt this film is going to offer the viewer anything new, still, they wouldn’t keep making them if people weren’t watching them so there must be a market out there.
God Particle
Release Date: October 27
God Particle is set in the Cloverfield universe but, in true Cloverfield fashion, that is about all we know about it. I was a huge fan of 10 Cloverfield Lane so I am excited to see what this story entails. If I had to guess simply by the title, I would say that this movie may provide us some insights into where the Cloverfield monster came from.
Saw: Legacy
Release Date: October 27
When Saw 7 came out I breathed a sigh of relief because the nightmare was over. What started out as one of the best horror movies of its generation became an entire series predicated on blood and guts over story. Though there are few details about the plot at this point, it is safe to assume that Doctor Gordon has taken up Jigsaw’s mantle in Saw: Legacy. I have a feeling that this movie is going to fall flat even with fans who were already exhausted by the end of the initial 7 films. Maybe this movie will breathe new life into the franchise, but the better bet is that it will squeeze whatever life was left out of the jigsaw legacy.
Cult of Chucky
Release Date: October
A teaser trailer has already been released for Cult of Chucky, but a real plot has yet to be nailed down. What we think we know is that this film is a sequel to the Curse of Chucky and will follow closely after the events of the film with Brad Dourif, Jennifer Tilly, and Fiona Dourif all reprising their roles. Of course, this film will just be about a killer doll when you boil it down, but Curse of Chucky brought Chucky back from the silly to the sinister and had a surprisingly engaging plot. If Cult of Chucky stays true to this formula this may be one to watch out for this year.
Hellraiser: Judgment
Release Date: TBD
There have been rumors for years that they are going to reboot this franchise, but they continue to pump out low-budget sequels instead. Hellraiser: Judgement follows a couple of detectives searching for a serial killer who is terrorizing their city. As they continue to chase their leads, they find themselves closer to a place where they really don’t want to be. Of course, Pinhead and the cenobites will show up and literal hell will break loose. We have seen it all before and there is no indication that this film will add anything new to the Hellraiser franchise.
Leatherface
Release Date: TBD
There is every indication that Leatherface is sitting on a shelf and just waiting for a release date. It is a prequel to the prequel to the remake of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and follows a teenaged Leatherface who has been sent away to a mental hospital. When he breaks out with two other inmates and a captive nurse they are chased by a Texas Ranger who may be may be crazier than they are. This is a departure from what we know from the Texas Chainsaw franchise, but it may just be what the franchise needs to become relevant again.