Say what you will about the quality of the “Insidious” films, but each of them has managed to put a different spin on the first movie’s haunted house premise. The later chapters have even brought a greater depth to the franchise, using the fantastical conceit of The Further to address thorny topics like child abuse and mental trauma in a refreshingly sensitive manner. Speaking to Collider, Rose Byrne said Patrick Wilson has been doing his part to ensure “Insidious: Fear the Dark” delivers the goods in that regard:
“He really worked so hard on the script for a long time. We had the pandemic, obviously, but we started talking about it, I think it was in 2019, I honestly do, before we actually shot it. So he was already really working hard on it then.”
Timeline hopping aside, going from “Insidious: Chapter 3” and “The Last Key” — which shine a light on both Elise’s physical and emotional scars from her abusive childhood and, later, her career battling demons — to “Fear the Dark” makes thematic sense, with the latter set to examine the lingering effects of the Lambert clan’s initial encounter with the residents of The Further. “He [Wilson] really wanted to make it about the origin story, about the original cast, about those characters, and the effect on the family,” Byrne explained. Don’t expect a total re-invention of the franchise in other respects, either, as Byrne indicated Wilson’s approach included delving “into the classic horror stuff, and all the tropes and all of the things the fans love, to give the fans what they want, too.”
“Insidious: Fear the Darkness” is scheduled to open in theaters on July 7, 2023.