Back in May, IFC and Shudder released a slasher flick In a state of violence. Directed and written by Chris Nash, the main hook of the film was that instead of following a group of teenagers avoiding violent death, the film was from the POV of a newly resurrected mute killer named Johnny. Many people celebrated the film and Johnny’s brutal murder, so if you were among those ranks, good news: more Johnny cinematic violence is on the way.
During the San Diego Comic-Con for horror movies, Johnny himself (played in the movie by Ry Barrett) stopped by. After the attendees were suitably baffled, he revealed that the soundtrack for his film has already started working. Nash has been confirmed as returning as writer, but not director. In a statement, AMC Networks film group head Scott Shooman said the first Violent Nature “It showed that there’s still an appetite for new ideas in the horror space. We knew right away that this unique take on the slasher would be a hit with fans.”
In that same statement, IFC Films called In a state of violence one of its highest-grossing films of all time at $4.5 million. The movie got a very good response, so it deserves to be expanded into a big franchise. All Shooman can say about the search is that Johnny (likely to be played again by Barrett) “is going to be big, he’s going to be gentle, and his kills are going to be pretty good.” Given how bad the carnage was in the original film, that should be exciting for fans to hear.
Now that you’re hooked… come back for more. @IFCfilms again @Thuthuka present in VIOLENT NATURE 2. Coming soon! pic.twitter.com/KwxJpQtnwU
– IFC Films (@IFCFilms) July 26, 2024
According to producer Peter Kuplowsky, a sequel was always on the cards. The first movie was originally conceived as a meta-sequel to the defunct slasher franchise, so this brings things full circle. “The fact that we now have the opportunity to continue following Johnny on his restless journey makes us feel incredibly grateful to our wonderful colleagues,” said Kuplowsky. “We are very excited to be returning to a new chapter and excited to send Johnny on as a way to continue this kind of research.”
If you haven’t had a chance to see it In a state of violence In theaters, IFC revealed that it will be heading to Shudder on September 13. Hopefully it won’t be too long of a wait to see who Johnny kills next.
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