The Strangers: Chapter 1

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The Strangers: Chapter 1
The Strangers Chapter 1 poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Renny Harlin
Screenplay by
  • Alan R. Cohen
  • Alan Freedland
Story by Bryan Bertino
Based on The Strangers
by Bryan Bertino
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyJosé David Montero
Edited byMichelle Harrison
Music by
Production
companies
Distributed byLionsgate Films
Release dates
  • May 8, 2024 (2024-05-08)(L.A. Live)
  • May 17, 2024 (2024-05-17)(United States)
Running time
91 minutes [1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$8.5 million [2]

The Strangers: Chapter 1 is a 2024 American horror film that is the third film in The Strangers film series. It is directed by Renny Harlin, with a screenplay by Alan R. Cohen and Alan Freedland, from a story by Bryan Bertino. Madelaine Petsch and Froy Gutierrez star as a couple who come into contact with the three psychopathic masked strangers while on a roadtrip. Gabriel Basso and Ema Horvath also star.

Contents

The film is also the first installment of a new trilogy of standalone films, where Chapter 1 will follow a similar premise to the first film and takes place in the same continuity as the first two installments, acting as a prequel to the first film. [3]

The Strangers: Chapter 1 had its world premiere at Regal L.A. Live on May 8, 2024. It is set to be released by Lionsgate Films on May 17, 2024. Chapter 2 is expected to be released later in 2024, and Chapter 3 on an unspecified date.

Premise

Maya drives across the country with her longtime boyfriend, Ryan, as the pair begin a new life together in the Pacific Northwest. Along the way, their car breaks down in Venus, Oregon and they are forced to spend the night in an isolated Airbnb home. Through the night, they are terrorized by three murderous masked strangers. [4]

Cast

Production

Development

In August 2022, producer Roy Lee announced plans for three films to consecutively enter production beginning in September of the same year. [6] Renny Harlin was revealed as director for at least one of the films, though he was in negotiations to direct each of the films. [7] The trilogy was produced by Lionsgate Films, Fifth Element Productions, and Frame Film, and will be distributed by Lionsgate. [8] [9]

Later in 2022, Harlin was announced as director on the three upcoming films; the first of the new trilogy, from a script written by Alan R. Cohen and Alan Freedland and story by Bryan Bertino. [8] [10] Courtney Solomon, Mark Canton, Christopher Milburn, Gary Raskin, Charlie Dombeck, and Alastair Birlingham were confirmed as producers on the three films. [8] The new trilogy is a relaunch of the series with producer Canton stating that the trilogy is intended to introduce new audiences to "world of The Strangers". Solomon stated that when they began the project the intent was to tell a bigger story than before, but also to "expand that world". [8] The producer describes the three films as a "character study", compared to the previous two films. It was later clarified by the filmmaker and the actors, that the new trilogy of films takes place in the same universe as the original two films. [11] [12]

Casting and filming

In September 2022, Madelaine Petsch, Froy Gutierrez and Gabriel Basso were cast. [4] In October 2022, Ema Horvath was announced to be a part of the cast. [13] The following month, Rachel Shenton joined the cast. [14]

Principal photography on all three films commenced in September 2022 in Bratislava, Slovakia, [4] and wrapped in November 2022. [15] [16] Harlin told Entertainment Weekly that it was "the challenge of a lifetime, but I also really embraced it. On a Monday morning, I could be shooting the second chapter, and Monday afternoon I could be shooting the first chapter, and Tuesday morning I could be shooting the third chapter. it was incredibly demanding for the actors, for the continuity in terms of the make-up and wardrobe, and for my director of photography, because we wanted to create a visual language that develops so that the movies get bigger, more epic, as we go [on]. It just kept all of our juices pumping all the time". [17]

Release

Lionsgate hosted the world premiere at Regal L.A. Live on May 8, 2024. [18] It is scheduled to have a theatrical release on May 17, 2024. [12]

Box office

In the United States and Canada, The Strangers: Chapter 1 is scheduled to be released alongside IF and Back to Black , and is projected to gross $7–9 million from 2,900 theaters in its opening weekend. [2]

Future

Two sequels were filmed concurrently with Chapter 1, with Chapter 2 expected to be released in late 2024. Harlin stated they were intended to be neither a remake nor reboot, and that the tone was going to be close to the first film. [19] Harlin said in an interview: "We, of course, shot them on top of each other and mixed up, like movies are always made. But we had to keep in mind that this is one story arc. It is one 4.5 hour movie, and the first movie is a first act. It sets up the characters and the terror and the Killers and our main character, who will survive the first movie, but then go on a journey for the next two". [20]

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References

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