The writer of 2020's scariest horror movie has had a sequel idea for three years
The Covid-era movie Host was a smash hit
Host was a surprise hit when it premiered on Shudder in July 2020, right at the height of the Covid pandemic, and capitalized both on the universal fear of the health emergency and of the paranormal. Three years later, words and phrases like "quarantini" and "social distancing" ring like echoes of a nightmare from the past, which is why a sequel to a movie whose plot and structure are based around the pandemic has always seemed unlikely. However, Host writer and executive producer Jed Shepherd says he's had a clear vision for a sequel since the first movie debuted.
"I came up with the sequel idea to Host the day after we released it!" Shepherd said in a reply to a fan on Twitter.
I came up with the sequel idea to HOST the day after we released it! https://t.co/i8w0q9ntezJuly 31, 2023
Unfortunately, Shepherd didn't follow up with any insights into this Host sequel he's apparently pondered over the last three years. Furthermore, he has since tweeted confirmation that there are no plans to make the sequel.
I'm curious to know though whether his sequel idea would continue with the original's use of a Zoom call as the setting and plot device, or and whether it would even be a found footage movie at all. The whole reason the movie took place over a remote video conference was because of Covid-era protocol, so a sequel - assuming it took place in more recent times instead of directly after the events of the original - could ditch the old format altogether and opt for a more traditional horror movie setting.
Here are the upcoming horror movies we know are in development.
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After scoring a degree in English from ASU, I worked as a copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. Now, as GamesRadar's west coast Staff Writer, I'm responsible for managing the site's western regional executive branch, AKA my apartment, and writing about whatever horror game I'm too afraid to finish.