M. Night Shyamalan's forthcoming film Knock at the Cabin has horror fans curious about a possible connection to the cult classic The Cabin in the Woods. Releasing in February 2023, Knock at the Cabin has been highly anticipated since the debut of its ominous trailer starring Dave Bautista as the leader of a group of strangers holding a family hostage in the titular cabin and insisting they have been sent to prevent the apocalypse. The name Knock at the Cabin and the promise of twisty, high-concept horror that M. Night Shyamalan has become known for immediately bring 2012's The Cabin in the Woods to mind.
However, despite their eerily similar titles and concepts, Shyamalan's Knock at the Cabin is an adaptation of a standalone novel that's completely unrelated to The Cabin in the Woods. The title Knock at the Cabin makes the distinction between the two films more obvious than the original novel's title would have. Knock at the Cabin is M. Night Shyamalan's interpretation of an award-winning 2018 novel by Paul Tremblay titled The Cabin at the End of the World. Given the parallels in premise and title structure between The Cabin at the End of the World and The Cabin in the Woods, Shyamalan's decision to change the name was a wise one.
How Knock At The Cabin & Cabin In The Woods Are Similar
Even though they aren't connected, Knock at the Cabin shares a host of traits with The Cabin in the Woods that should have fans of the horror-comedy excited for M. Night Shyamalan's latest project. In addition to sharing the classic horror setting of an isolated cabin, both Knock at the Cabin and The Cabin in the Woods require their leads to make a sacrifice to save the rest of the world. The Cabin in the Woods ending twist is a clever commentary on horror tropes and humanity. It seems likely that the master of twists, M. Night Shyamalan, will have something similarly impressive in store for Knock at the Cabin.
Why Cabin In The Woods 2 Never Happened
Knock at the Cabin will have to suffice as a spiritual successor for fans of The Cabin in the Woods. Despite its box office and critical success, doubling its budget to bring in $69.9 million and racking up a 92% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, The Cabin in the Woods made no attempts to become a franchise. The reason a Cabin in the Woods sequel never happened is the world ended in that film. Once the characters decided humanity wasn't worth saving, a direct sequel wasn't possible. The Cabin in the Woods' monster list creates an opportunity for prequel films, but Drew Goddard hasn't shown interest in revisiting it.
Even as its own standalone project, M. Night Shyamalan's Knock at the Cabin looks to be the perfect opportunity for fans of The Cabin in the Woods to scratch that decade-old itch. There's no telling what kind of twist the legendary horror director has in store for audiences when Knock at the Cabin hits theaters on February 3, 2023. But the success of the novel it's based on, its apocalyptic cabin premise, and the stellar cast have already made Knock at the Cabin one of the most intriguing horror movies releasing in 2023.
