Producer Jason Blum recently revealed there is still potential for Happy Death Day 3. The first installment of the series was released in 2017. While it is a slasher film, it can also be classified as a black comedy. The film is directed by Christopher Landon (Freaky) and written by Scott Lobdell. The story follows college student, Tree (Jessica Rothe), who realizes that she is caught in a loop where she keeps being murdered and returning back to the start of the day. She must find out who the killer is in order to break the cycle.
In 2019, Happy Death Day 2U was released into theaters. This sequel was both written and directed by Landon. It picks the story back up with Tree, but this time, she finds herself misplaced in another dimension. While she is once again living the same day on repeat, each version of the day is different. Meanwhile, there is a new killer pursuing Tree. There has been some talk about a third installment, although there are no concrete details.
In an interview with Slashfilm, Blum talked about the possibility of a third movie. While the talent in front of and behind the camera have expressed interest in making another film, no movement has occurred from Blumhouse. The producer said that the situation is made difficult by the box office drop with the sequel. See below for Blum's full response:
I’m not giving up. That’s like the next Purge movie. There’s nothing official […] I think Chris Landon’s one of the most talented filmmakers we’ve ever worked with. We continue to work with. And I want to continue that franchise some way. It’s what happens when the box office really falls off on a second movie, it’s much more challenging to keep it going, but I’m going to try. I’ve got some ideas up my sleeve.
Happy Death Day grossed an impressive $125 million worldwide against a reported budget of $4.8 million. Meanwhile, Happy Death Day 2U brought in $64 million globally with an estimated $9 million budget. This is a substantial drop, although this may not be due to the fact that folks do not want to see more from this universe. While Happy Death Day was marketed as a PG-13 slasher flick with a funny twist, the sequel was advertised the other way around with a heavy dose of comedy and sci-fi, along with hints of horror.
Blum's answer is a bit vague, given that he has all of the power regarding the fate of the series at this point. Depending on the direction that Happy Death Day 3 is taken in, it could turn things around for the series. He compared the unofficial nature of the project to Purge 6. The upcoming fifth entry in the Purge franchise titled, The Forever Purge, is supposed to be the final chapter. Although, Blum seems to be entertaining the idea of another installment of that more readily than Happy Death Day 3, even though the previous Purge took a noticeable dip from the previous two entries.
Source: Slashfilm