The “Insidious” Twitter has posted a message reading, “You’re never alone in The Further. Call in the spirits at (310) 634-1918 — you never know who might answer.” Well, yours truly did just that and got a voice message from Elise saying, “You are about to enter the Further,” accompanied by a countdown and the sound of cackling voices. The whole thing culminated with some kind of monster screaming (perhaps our old friend the Lipstick-Face Demon? Or maybe a brand-new ghoul from “The Red Door?”) before the call ended. Presumably, Sony — which is releasing “The Red Door” in theaters — intends to use that number for additional marketing in the future, much like Lionsgate did with its texting campaign for “John Wick: Chapter 4.”
Anyway, it’s all a bit of fun to pass the time until “The Red Door” arrives and, fingers crossed, provides a satisfying conclusion to the Lambert family’s story. Patrick Wilson, who plays the Lambert patriarch Josh, is making his directing debut with the film, drawing from a script by Scott Teems (“Halloween Kills”) and a story credited to Leigh Whannell. Wilson himself has done a pretty solid job hyping the sequel all on his own, having talked about the ways his real-life experiences attending art school inspired its themes and story. He’s also said his goal with the film was to avoid being overly reliant on jump scares and instead sustain an atmosphere of “tonal dread,” which frankly goes a long way in getting me excited to see this film all by itself.
“Insidious: The Red Door” will tiptoe its way through the tulips starting on July 7, 2023.