MRC and Lionsgate are developing a sequel to “The Blackening,” the hit horror-comedy from Dewayne Perkins and Tracy Oliver.
After the microbudget production (just $5 million) made more than $18 million at the box office, producer MRC and domestic distributor Lionsgate have entered into talks with Perkins, Oliver and producer E. Brian Dobbins to develop a follow-up film.
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Directed by Tim Story and co-written by Perkins and Oliver, “The Blackening” follows a group of college friends who reunite for Juneteenth weekend and are hunted by a killer who asks them to determine who is the Blackest among them — lampooning the common horror movie trope that sees the Black character die first. Perkins initially conceived the story as a sketch for his comedy troupe 3Peat, which developed into a short for Comedy Central, before Oliver reached out to develop it into a feature.
The project premiered in 2022 as a TIFF Midnight Madness selection, where it was embraced by a raucous audience and landed a rich distribution deal from Lionsgate. “The Blackening” hit theaters over Juneteenth weekend, grossing $2.5 million in its first day of release on its way to a $6 million opening weekend haul. That figure becomes more impressive when you consider that the horror-comedy’s production budget was only $3 million (the final tally comes to $5 million after factoring in P&A).
In an interview, Oliver told Variety that “The Blackening’s” success has been empowering: “I keep telling the cast and other writers, there’s money out there. $3 million is a lot easier to come by than $20-50 million. We don’t have to necessarily wait for a studio to say ‘Yes’ anymore. For a Black person, that’s inspiring.”
There’s no word on the plot for the sequel, but Perkins told Variety that he envisions “The Blackening” as a franchise, akin to a “Scary Movie”-esque series versus the “Knives Out” style with a new cast for each mystery.
“Same group, sprinkle in some new people,” he explained. “I feel like we’ve got something good, and I love the dynamic, but fresh blood always turns things up a little bit.”
“The Blackening” stars Antoinette Robertson, Perkins, Sinqua Walls, Grace Byers, X Mayo, Melvin Gregg, Jermaine Fowler, Yvonne Orji and Jay Pharoah. Marcei A. Brown, Jason Clark, Dobbins, Oliver, Story, and Sharla Sumpter Bridgett produced. Perkins serves as a co-producer, with Vicky Story as associate producer.
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Carol Dennis is an entertainment aficionado with an eye for all things pop culture. She dives into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry, from movie premieres to music festivals. Carol’s passion for storytelling extends beyond her reporting, as she’s an aspiring screenwriter in her free time.