Filmmaker Ari Aster reveals writing a "prequel" to horror film 'Hereditary'
Washington DC, June 9
Filmmaker Ari Aster revealed that he has already written the script for the prequel of 'Hereditary' but doesn't have any plans to shoot it, reported Variety.
At the Egyptian Theatre screening of 'Hereditary', the filmmaker said, "I wrote a prequel to this (Hereditary). It never feels like the right time. It's a prequel, not a sequel, so I don't know where this goes," as quoted by Variety.
"Hereditary" was Aster's feature directorial debut, which starred Toni Collette, Alex Wolff, Milly Shapiro and Gabriel Byrne. The film follows the Graham family, whose unassuming life begins to violently unravel after the death of the reclusive grandmother.
Since then, Aster has directed films 'Midsommar,' 'Beau Is Afraid' and 'Eddington.'
According to Variety, the critics describe Aster's movies as "elevated horror". However, the director rejected such labels, saying "I hate the term elevated horror, especially because it's sort of a box that I was put in and horror fans took umbrage," as quoted by Variety.
Aster later explained that Danny DeVito tried to finance "Hereditary," but he couldn't find the cash to do so. The unnamed financier Aster eventually chose, he explained, put him through "one of the darkest times of my life."
"It was just in the hands of a financier that was, how do we say it? Worse," Aster explained. "I'm afraid to say the name because he might show up in my life. Really a nightmare who I had signed my life away, I had signed the film away to him. He had me in the palm of his hand. It was one of the darkest times of my life, actually finishing this film and trying to protect it, keep it from just blowing up," as quoted by Variety.
Aster's last directorial was Eddington, an American satirical neo-Western thriller film that starred Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal, Luke Grimes, Deirdre O'Connell, Michael Ward, Austin Butler, and Emma Stone.
Set in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic and George Floyd protests, the film examines the political and social turmoil in the fictional town of Eddington, New Mexico, caused by the contested mayoral election fought between Sheriff Joe Cross and Mayor Ted Garcia.
The movie was released in 2025.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Honestly, I'm tired of prequels and sequels. Why can't filmmakers just let a good story stand alone? Hereditary was perfect as it was. Ari Aster is a brilliant director but this feels like milking a franchise. 🙄
Western horror has been killing it lately. Hereditary, Midsommar, The Witch... Meanwhile India keeps churning out remakes. 😅 Would be great if some Indian production house picked up a project like this for adaptation with our folklore elements.
I'm curious about the financier nightmare he mentioned. In India, we have our share of horror stories with producers interfering in creative decisions. At least Aster managed to protect his vision. Respect for that. 👏
I haven't watched 'Eddington' yet, but the premise sounds very American-centric. Would love to see Aster explore Indian mythology or folklore for his next horror film. Our stories have so much untapped potential for truly terrifying cinema. 🇮🇳
Honestly, 'elevated horror' is a stupid term. Horror is horror. Just because it's well-made doesn't mean we need a new label for it. Aster is right to hate that phrase. Glad he finally addressed it. 🙌
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