Adam Wingard’s The Guest has become a cult favourite among genre fans, with its reputation only growing in the eight years since its release. Wingard has been busy wielding kaijus and giant apes since then, but those who love the neon-noir, 80s-inspired thriller movie haven’t given up hope of a sequel. And Wingard himself stoked the flames of hope earlier this year, when he released a soundtrack to The Guest II…on April Fool’s Day.
When it was released in 2014, The Guest helped audiences see British actor Dan Stevens in a new light, as he was primarily known for playing Matthew Crawley in Downton Abbey at the time. He has continued to surprise since – in the likes of Colossal, Her Smell, The Rental, Eurovision, and I’m Your Man.
While Wingard viewed the soundtrack to a movie that doesn’t exist as a fun project, it has potentially set the sequel gears in motion. He told Empire; “It’s really pushed me and Simon [Barrett, writer] into a creative headspace. We’re talking about developing a potential sequel as a real project,” the director says, adding that star Dan Stevens “would love to do it.”
The Guest could arrive in a different form to the first story; “Maybe the more interesting thing isn’t doing a sequel to The Guest,” he teases. “Maybe it’s doing a limited series, something we could really sink our teeth into.” Wingard finished by saying; “It’s probably my favourite movie that I’ve made. It feels like the one that I was able to project the most of myself into.”
In The Guest, Stevens plays a mysterious and sinister drifter, in the style of Ryan Gosling in Drive. He arrives at the home of a family, claiming to be a soldier friend of their son who died in military action, but violence appears to follow him. It also stars Maika Monroe and Sheila Kelly.
While we wait to find out whether The Guest II really happens, check out our guide to the best spy movies.