TERRIFIER TEAM TO RELEASE NEW SEQUEL FOR 20-YEAR-OLD HORROR FRANCHISE
The team behind horror hit Terrifier 3 will be reviving a horror classic. Production company Cineverse has confirmed a new entry in the Wolf Creek film series.
Australian horror hit Wolf Creek broke new ground when it was released in 2005, as it was shot on a micro-budget of just $1 million almost exclusively on high-definition video. Picnic at Hanging Rock and Dark Age's John Jarratt gave a terrifying performance as a serial killer hunting in the Aussie outback. Wolf Creek's box office success led to a 2013 sequel and a TV spinoff.
Wolf Creek Returns After 20 Years
'Wolf Creek' TV Series Looks Just as Creepy as You'd Imagine
The spinoff of Greg McLean's 2005 horror film will premiere in October on American television.
According to Variety, Cineverse is now moving forward with a third film titled Wolf Creek: Legacy, where John Jarratt will reprise his role as killer Mick Taylor. In this installment, Mick takes revenge on a group of American tourists who mistakenly wander onto his hunting grounds. Before long, the tourists and their children are separated as Mick hunts them through the outback.
"Wolf Creek is one of the greatest slasher movies of all time with one of the most terrifying villains,” said Erick Opeka, Cineverse’s chief strategy officer and president, said in a statement. “We’re incredibly excited to bring Mick Taylor back to the big screen in what will be the perfect addition to our library alongside Terrifier 3 and our reimagining of Silent Night, Deadly Night."
Jarratt will co-star in Wolf Creek: Legacy with It Chapter Two actor Jay Ryan and Late Night with the Devil actress Laura Gordon, though the latter two have been cast in undisclosed roles. Franchise producer Greg McLean is on board as a producer while Territory and I Am Mother editor Sean Lahiff will direct the sequel.
Wolf Creek Hit US Cinemas on Christmas Day 2005
The Micro-Budget Horror Hit Spawned a Franchise Around Serial Killer Mick Taylor
Wolf Creek (2005) Cast | |
|---|---|
Actor | Role |
John Jarratt | Mick Taylor |
Cassandra Magrath | Liz Hunter |
Kestie Morassi | Kristy Earl |
Nathan Phillips | Ben Mitchell |
“I’m thrilled to be returning to Wolf Creek with this exciting creative team, led by director Sean Lahiff, armed with a fantastic and genuinely frightening script,” McLean said. “Mick Taylor will be terrorizing tourists, horror fans and the big screen once again very soon!”
Terrifier fans can expect more gruesome kills from the franchise too, as Terrifier 4 is currently in development. In January, Damien Leone confirmed that the next Terrifier sequel will finally give fans the answers they've long wanted about the murderous Art the Clown's origin.
"Mick Taylor will be terrorizing tourists, horror fans and the big screen once again very soon!"
"The script for Terrifier 4 is in the works and it’s shaping up to be a most epic, thrilling, nasty, horrifying, emotional and utterly satisfying conclusion. P.s., I will finally reveal Art’s origin," Leone wrote on X in January 2025.
Leone also recently defended the Terrifier series against complaints of misogyny by leaning into horror's "Final Girl" trope with its brutal kills for many female characters.
Wolf Creek Was A Critical Hit in Australia But Polarized International Reviewers
James Gunn's 'Belco Experiment' Snags 'Wolf Creek' Director
Australian director Greg McLean will helm the MGM horror film written and produced by James Gunn.
- The Australian Film Institute nominated Wolf Creek for seven awards, including Best Direction and Best Original Screenplay for franchise creator Greg McLean.
- Cast Member Kestie Morassi also earned a Best Actress in a Supporting Role nomination from the AFI for her portrayal of terrorized tourist Kristy Earl.
- Influential American critic Roger Ebert was less impressed with Wolf Creek, calling it a "slough of despair" in his 2005 review.
"I don't think it's a funny matter, but it's so not me that I do find it kind of hilarious," he insisted to IndieWire. "It's also a trope that I grew up loving. The Final Girl is such a powerful element to these movies, and I don't think it's as impactful if it's a Final Man. Men are just more reprehensible in general, and you're already used to seeing them die [in other genres]."
Despite the controversy over its content, the Christmas-themed Terrifier 3 made a staggering $90 million against a reported $2 million budget. The sequel also received largely positive reviews with a 78% Fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Wolf Creek: Legacy will begin production later this year ahead of a 2026 release date.
Source: Variety
Wolf Creek
Wolf Creek is a 2005 horror film where three friends get stranded in Australia and fall victim to a psychopathic torturer. Wolf Creek was then followed by Wolf Creek 2 in 2013 and a TV show in 2016. The film received mixed reviews upon release but has been viewed in a more favorable light in recent years.