The Strangers Chapter 2 Takes Place of Saw XI Release Slot in Lionsgate Calendar

There are problems in the Hollywood industry as well. It’s not as dreamy as one might think. Technology changes, distribution models change, and audiences’ interests change as well. So do the dates for the film’s releases! 

The Strangers Chapter 2 takes place of Saw XI release date that was initially designated for Saw XI‘s premiere. The date marked in the calendar was September 26, 2025, but now it’s taken by The Strangers Chapter 2. 

The Strangers Chapter 1 performance 

According to Deadline, The Strangers Chapter 1 debuted last May with gross earnings of $35.2 million domestically and $48.1 million worldwide. It was a better-performing movie for Lionsgate in the year 2024. 

The Strangers movie franchise commenced in 2008 at Focus Features. The movie made $52.5 million domestically and more than $82 million worldwide. Ten years later, a sequel, The Strangers: Prey at Night, came on screen. It made $24.5 million domestically and $31 million globally.  

The Strangers Chapter 2 cast and production crew

The Strangers Chapter 2 will be directed by Renny Harlin (The Misfits, 2021), Gabriel Basso, and Ema Horvath, written by Alan R. Cohen (The Strangers Chapter 1) and Alan Freedland (Due Date), and produced by Courtney Solomon, Mark Canton, Christopher Milburn, Gary Raskin, Alastair Burlingham, and Charlie Dombek.

The film’s star cast includes Madelaine Petsch, Gabriel Basso, and Ema Horvath. 

The Strangers Chapter 2 plot

Based on Bloody Disgusting reports, The Strangers Chapter 2 will continue the story of Madelaine Petsch’s character Maya. She was the survivor of The Stranger Chapter 1 events. 

The film synopsis presented on IMDb states that the final day of a cross-country road trip transforms into a disaster as the couple’s vehicle breaks down. They are forced to take refuge in a faraway Airbnb. That is where the three masked strangers start making their lives hell. 

The Strangers trilogy had been filmed and wrapped

Petsch said, via The Hollywood Reporter, that they are making Chapter 2 “as terrifying as possible,” and the team can’t wait to show the audience once it hits the theaters on September 26. 

The producers are of the view that setting its release date close to Halloween season is the perfect opening for the fans, and just like the fans, they are excited for its next release as well. 

In another report from THR, the director Renny Harlin disclosed that he wrapped filming of the entire trilogy in 52 days, with the same lead actress in different scenes of the trilogy. It would not be wrong to say that the actors and the director were on the same page when they were shooting the film, as Petsch confirmed the fact that the next part has an enhanced level of fear.

The director’s thoughts on filming it in one go

Renny Harlin did not think so in the beginning. He opened up with THR as he thought it might be an “apocalypse” in the making and they might not be able to find their way back if they got lost in this jungle. But one thing he was sure about was, “Nothing is too ambitious for me”. 

He explained that the idea of filming a four-and-a-half hour epic feature and then splitting it into three chapters later was intriguing. It was a unique opportunity for him to “explore the psychology of the victims and the perpetrator” in a continuous realm. He believed that he would regret it for the rest of his life if he didn’t do it at that time. 

He just had to finish what he started, and he wanted to do it in one go. That game gave him a spectrum of making errors and rectifying them ‘there and then’. 

He even teased about the second and third chapters that when Maya survived in the first part, she thought things were over. However, the next two installments “go in completely different directions.”  

Independent marketplace has become challenging, Harlin said

First off, he clarified that Chapter 1 is not a remake of the original film. It is not like the first film was shot with the best possible technology available at that time and then decades later, it should continue from it’s left. 

He considers that the filmmakers of today still dream of getting their films released in theatres rather than on online streaming platforms. Surely, the streaming platforms have given audiences a better edge to enjoy content in the comfort of their homes. However, getting a wider experience in theatres remains “something incredibly special”.

Making films like The Strangers is not very expensive, Harlin confessed, but the marketing costs are high. If the film gets the right hype, people will certainly come to theatres to have a communal experience with massive sound systems. 

Saw’s Billy the Puppet shatters the stillness

 

 

 

 

 

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Despite the rumors that the Saw franchise is in trouble after behind-the-scenes disagreements between Lionsgate and Saw franchise people, the vile dummy of Saw, Billy the Puppet, has spilled the beans, saying,

“I’ve seen the rumors. They say it’s game over. You all should know me better than that. The game is never over.” [Source]

Why The Strangers Chapter 2 takes place of Saw XI? Reason for removing Saw XI from September scheduled release

Deadline cited that Lionsgate and the producers of the Saw franchise are “not on the same page in regards to the project”. Hence, the schedule for the Saw XI release is delayed prior to CinemaCon, the annual convention of movie theatre owners.

Saw writers Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan turned in the draft for Saw XI a year ago, which, according to them, was timely. Melton told The Hollywood Reporter, 

“We haven’t heard anything since May….It’s stalled at a managerial level. It has nothing to do with the creative or anything else. There’s higher-level things at play.” [Source]

After the revitalization of the franchise and its theatrical release in September 2023, Saw X collected $112 million at the global box office. After its revamp, it is the best-receiving entry in the Jigsaw series to date.  

It is unclear why the delays are now made, whereas it is a better-performing film than The Strangers franchise if both of their recent releases and their gross earnings are compared. 

Film facts of The Strangers Chapter 2

Genre: Slasher horror, mystery

Cast: Gabriel Basso, Madelaine Petsch, Rachel Shenton

Director: Renny Harlin

Writers: Alan R. Cohen, Alan Freedland

Producers: Courtney Solomon, Mark Canton, Christopher Milburn, Gary Raskin, Alastair Burlingham, and Charlie Dombek.

Release date: September 26, 2025

Movie runtime: 1 hour 36 minutes 

Do you think it’s the right decision to push Saw XI forward and give The Strangers Chapter 2 its date for September release? Let us know in the comments.