Elijah Wood’s Cult Classic Horror Movie Reunion In Blood-Soaked 2026 Thriller Sequel Reflected On By Star

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Elijah Wood and Shawn Hatosy, who first worked together on the 1998 movie The Faculty, are teaming up again for Ready or Not 2: Here I Come. Wood is now sharing his memories of working on The Faculty almost 30 years ago.

I absolutely love The Faculty! It’s about a group of high school kids who realize their teachers are being taken over by aliens. It didn’t get the greatest reviews when it first came out and didn’t make a ton of money at the box office, but over time it’s really become a favorite for a lot of us movie fans – it’s a true cult classic.

I was chatting with Elijah Wood recently, and he shared a fun memory about filming The Faculty. Apparently, that movie was actually how he first discovered Austin, Texas – one of the places they shot it! He said he absolutely loved making the film, and working with Robert Rodriguez was a real highlight for him – a total treat, as he put it.

He described the film set as feeling like a fun summer camp, saying everyone had a great time making the movie.

I have really fond memories of filming ‘The Faculty.’ It was my first time visiting Austin, Texas, and I discovered the original Alamo Drafthouse downtown while we were shooting. I loved both the movie and the experience of making it. Working with Robert was a pleasure, and the whole cast was fantastic – it felt like we were all at summer camp! It was just a really fun and memorable time.

Sarah Michelle Gellar described making the Ready or Not sequel as much wilder and more chaotic than filming The Faculty, comparing it to a lively college fraternity week. Rose Byrne (Wood) shared that she felt the same way.

Sarah Michelle Gellar joked that the movie felt like it shifted from a summer camp vibe to something more like a wild college fraternity week.

Elijah Wood: That’s true.

Tyler Gillett, a co-director of Ready or Not 2: Here I Come, said it was “a lot of fun” to see actors Samara Weaving and Andie MacDowell reunite on screen. Weaving agreed, saying, “It was fun for us too.”

Tyler Gillett: It was really fun seeing you get back together.

Elijah Wood: It was fun for us too.

You know, the directors, Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett, shared something really interesting about the casting. They actually tried to get Jon Stewart – yeah, that Jon Stewart from The Daily Show and also from the movie Faculty alongside Wood and Hatosy – for the thriller, but unfortunately, his schedule just didn’t work out. It would have been wild to see him in it!

Matt Bettinelli-Olpin: We tried to get Jon Stewart too.

Tyler Gillett: Unavail.

Kathryn Newton, who stars as Faith MacCaullay, recently shared with Ash that she hasn’t actually seen the movie The Faculty, despite catching bits and pieces of it on her phone.

She shared some old photos of Shawn and Elijah from a movie they were in, sending them to the rest of the cast. She said she’d messaged them, pointing out the pictures, but they already knew about it, playfully responding to her with, ‘Yeah, we know.’

I haven’t actually watched the full movie yet, but it was so funny when Elijah and Shawn Hatosy were on set with me. I know I keep saying that I’ll watch it, and I will! I’ve seen bits and pieces on my phone, though. My phone started showing me a bunch of pictures of Sean and Elijah in this movie, so I sent them the photos and joked, ‘Hey, you guys were in a movie once!’ They just laughed and said, ‘Yes, Kathryn, we’re aware.’

Samara Weaving, David Cronenberg, Néstor Carbonell, Kevin Durand, Olivia Cheng, Varun Saranga, Nadeem Umar-Khitab, Juan Pablo Romero, Maia Jae, Daniel Beirne, and Antony Hall are also featured in Ready or Not 2: Here I Come.

Following the events of Ready or Not, where Grace miraculously survived a deadly game of hide-and-seek on her wedding night, the sequel finds her needing to protect herself and her sister. They’ve become targets of a new, dangerous game orchestrated by wealthy families.

The 2019 thriller Ready or Not was a commercial success, earning $57.6 million despite only costing $6 million to make. Critics and audiences both enjoyed the film, which was directed by Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett, as evidenced by its 89% ‘Certified Fresh’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes from critics and a 78% audience score.

Early reviews for Ready or Not 2: Here I Come are fantastic. Currently, the film has an 83% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. After premiering at SXSW, it’s predicted to open at number two in theaters, following Project Hail Mary starring Ryan Gosling.

Ready or Not 2: Here I Come will be released in theaters on Friday, March 20, 2026.

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2026-03-16 21:20