It’s been five years since The Invisible Man terrified audiences and gave us our first new great Universal Monster movie of the 2020s. The flick also gave Elisabeth Moss one of the most intense, career-defining roles of her life. Since then, fans have been asking the same question: where’s the sequel to one of the scariest modern horror movies? Well, Moss was finally asked, and she provided an update.
The Handmaid’s Tale star addressed the status of the horror sequel during a new interview with Screen Rant, Moss finally gave a meaningful update Her comments aren’t flashy, but they’re refreshingly honest. According to Moss, there’s no rush just to get a second film out the door. She shared with the outlet:
It was out for two weeks before COVID and made hundreds of millions of dollars. We could have easily just churned out a sequel and thrown it up on streaming and called it a day, and I think some people would’ve made money off of that. I am so grateful to Universal and Blum for not doing that and for having a standard that’s unusual in these circumstances and really wanting it to be worth doing. So it’s an unusual thing, but that doesn’t usually happen. But I feel like it’s important. We love that movie so much. The people who made it – we’re so proud of it.
And the creative team should be proud, as making money on a movie released during a global pandemic is no small feat. However, like the the Mad Man veteran, I’m just happy the powers that be at Blumhouse didn’t fast-track an unnecessary sequel.
2020’s The Invisible Man is a page-to-screen adaptation of H.G. Wells’ novel and the original Universal film, but it brings a fresh twist to it. Directed by Leigh Whannell, the flick follows Cecilia Kass (Moss), who’s trying to escape a toxic relationship with her rich ex, Adrian Griffin (Oliver Jackson-Cohen), an optics genius. After he fakes his death, he uses some crazy tech to turn invisible and starts stalking Cecilia, gaslighting her and trying to take control of her life.
Whannell’s film seamlessly blends sci-fi and psychological horror elements into a tense, smart thriller, culminating in a sharp, unsettling finale that left fans wanting more. Yet, instead of rushing a forgettable sequel we wished was never made, Moss and the team behind one of the best horror movies of recent memory are taking their time to get it right. And, yes, that’s the reason for the delay. She continued:
We really want to make sure [that] if we do a sequel, it’s worthy and it’s going to have to be as good if not better. So that’s been kind of what’s slowed us down. But I don’t think that’s a bad thing. I think if we’re going to do it, it’s got to be right. But we still want to do it. We’re still working on it. We just have to get the right script together.
That level of care is rare in an industry where sequels are often greenlit before opening weekend ends, and I’m so here for it. This lines up with previous comments from Leigh Whannell himself, who has said in the past that he was happy with the original movie’s ending and didn’t want to water it down with a forced follow-up.
So, yes, the sequel is still in the works. However, this isn’t studio silence or development limbo; instead, it’s due to a team that cares, taking their time to protect what made The Invisible Man work in the first place. That kind of respect, for the story, the audience, and the film itself, is something more horror movie franchises could learn from.
In the meantime, if you’re looking to revisit the original, The Invisible Man is currently streaming with a Peacock subscription.