Jonathan Sim
It has been seven years since Happy Death Day 2U, but Jessica Rothe says the push for a third installment is very much alive. Speaking during the press tour for her new horror film Affection, Rothe offered the clearest update yet on where things stand on Happy Death Day 3, and it sounds like she and director Chris Landon are more determined than ever.
“Chris Landon and I had dinner last week, not specifically about the third movie, but it of course came up, because both of us are just absolutely determined to make it happen,” Rothe said. “We have a sneaky plan. It’s not that sneaky; it’s more just that we feel committed to doing everything that we can do to get the story in a place that it becomes undeniable.”
The duo’s strategy centers on the script itself. “We’re going to put in that sweat equity and get the script and the story to where it needs to be so that it’s a no-brainer,” Rothe explained, “because we know that the desire and the hunger for the third one is out there.” No green light has been given yet, but Rothe was clear that the project is being actively worked on, not simply wished for.
She also pointed to a shifting theatrical landscape as cause for optimism. “I feel like the appetite for seeing movies, especially genre, in theaters has been growing recently, and people are really enjoying that communal experience,” she said. “It’s just up to us to unlock the sexiest version of that to get the people with the money to give us the money to go make this movie.”
Rothe was equally emphatic about the obligation she and Landon feel toward the franchise’s fanbase. “We have such an incredible fan base who have been so supportive and so patient, and it would be remiss of us to not honor that and finish Tree’s journey.” She added, with a laugh, that her investment in the story isn’t purely professional: “I want to know what’s going to happen. I want to know too.”
As for the title, fans have long speculated the third film could be called Happy Death Day Tree, a pun that writes itself. Rothe wouldn’t confirm or deny it, but her response suggested the idea is very much on the table. “You are very astute,” she said. “It’s kind of a no-brainer, which then makes you think, do we want to do something unexpected? But also, we just need to give the people what they want.”
No release date or greenlight has been announced. For now, Rothe and Landon are doing the work of making the film too good to pass up.
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