Ready or Not 2 to Clash with Scream 7 in 2026: Which Will Dominate Horror?

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It appears that the upcoming 2026 horror movie sequel might encounter competition because it’s set to debut on a date that coincides with a series of successful horror films released in the 2020s. Since theaters reopened post-COVID-19 lockdowns, numerous blockbuster horror titles have graced our screens. These include original productions like Jordan Peele’s ‘Nope’, which earned $171.1 million on a budget of $68 million, and Parker Finn’s ‘Smile’, grossing $217.4 million against a budget of just $17 million. Additionally, there have been new installments in established franchises like ‘A Quiet Place: Day One’, which made $261.8 million on a budget of $67 million, ‘Scream VI’ earning $169.1 million against a budget of $35 million, and ‘The Nun II’ taking in $269.5 million against $38.5 million.

2026 looks to be an exceptionally strong year for horror series revivals, with a diverse lineup that includes sequels and spin-offs such as “Soulm8te”, a spinoff of M3GAN, “The Mummy” which is Lee Cronin’s monster reboot, the slasher sequel “Scream 7”, the standalone sequel “Evil Dead Burn”, a new installment of “Scary Movie”, the sixth untitled movie in the “Insidious” series, and Zach Cregger’s reinterpretation of “Resident Evil”. However, two films on the schedule might create a potential issue due to their close release dates.

Stars Samara Weaving And Kathryn Newton Featured In A First Look Image Sharing The News

Another significant horror sequel scheduled for release in 2026 is “Ready or Not 2: Here I Come.” It has been confirmed by Searchlight Pictures that production on this project has wrapped up, serving as a continuation of the 2019 film “Ready or Not.” The sequel is planned to debut on April 10, 2026. Check out their official announcement below, which includes an image of returning actress Samara Weaving handcuffed alongside newcomer Kathryn Newton, suggesting the chaos that awaits us:

[Image of Samara Weaving and Kathryn Newton]
Searchlight Pictures is thrilled to announce that filming has wrapped on the highly anticipated sequel Ready or Not 2: Here I Come. The follow-up to our 2019 smash hit, Ready or Not, is set to premiere on April 10, 2026. Stay tuned for the mayhem that awaits!

[Image Caption] Returning star Samara Weaving and incoming co-star Kathryn Newton are handcuffed together, hinting at the chaos to come in Ready or Not 2: Here I Come.

To date, much about the upcoming film Ready or Not 2: Here I Come, directed once again by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, remains shrouded in secrecy. But it’s been officially announced that Samara Weaving will reprise her character Grace. In the last installment, we saw Grace outwitting her newly acquired wealthy family during a lethal game of hide-and-seek, ending with them all meeting an explosive, gory demise for failing to adhere to their ancestral benefactor’s supernatural traditions.

Although the identities of the additional characters interacting with Grace have yet to be revealed, the new cast ensemble additionally features Sarah Michelle Gellar, David Cronenberg, Elijah Wood, Kevin Durand, Shawn Hatosy, Olivia Cheng, and Néstor Carbonell.

Ready Or Not 2 Will Release On The Heels Of Scream 7

The Two Movies Have A Lot In Common

One possible concern for the release of “Ready or Not 2” is that it’s scheduled to debut just under two months after the highly anticipated sequel, “Scream 7”. The upcoming “Scream” film, written by the original franchise screenwriter Kevin Williamson and featuring the return of several original cast members like Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Mason Gooding, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Matthew Lillard, and Scott Foley, is slated for release on February 27, 2026.

The two upcoming movies share numerous similarities. Firstly, they will both be horror sequels with a high number of gruesome scenes. These films are being produced by Radio Silence, the same creative team behind the “Ready or Not” series, who also made the latest “Scream” installments, albeit not directly involved in “Scream 7”. However, there is still an overlap in crew members between the two movies, with producers James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick on board. Furthermore, the actresses Samara Weaving and Sarah Michelle Gellar, who starred in “Ready or Not”, have also appeared in the “Scream” franchise, with Weaving featuring in the sixth film and Gellar in the second one.

Will 2026 Be Scream Vs Ready Or Not?

Or Will They Both Help Each Other?

It’s yet to be determined whether the release of Scream 7 and Ready or Not 2 will impact each other’s earnings, but history shows that big slasher films can thrive even when they’re scheduled close together. For example, in 1988, Friday the 13th Part VII came out on May 13, followed by A Nightmare on Elm Street 4 on August 19 and Halloween 4 on October 21. Remarkably, all three films were financially successful, with the first two titles earning more than five times their budgets.

Despite a busy horror schedule for 2025, films like April’s “Sinners” and May’s “Final Destination Bloodlines” have achieved unprecedented box office success, indicating that prominent horror productions can thrive concurrently in today’s industry. This suggests that films such as Scream 7 and Ready or Not 2 could also enjoy strong performances, potentially benefiting from their shared production team connections.

Source(s): Searchlight Pictures/X

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2025-06-06 19:38