Summary:
- “The Strangers” franchise returns with a new trilogy, starting with “Chapter 1.”
- Lionsgate’s viral marketing campaign features the iconic villains appearing in real-life settings.
- Director Renny Harlin leads the trilogy, promising chilling narratives and a talented cast.
The terrifying masked villains from “The Strangers” are back, and this time, they’re using a chilling marketing campaign to haunt you in real life.
The original “The Strangers,” released in 2008, became a horror sensation. A sequel, “The Strangers: Prey at Night,” followed a decade later. Now, Lionsgate is launching a brand new trilogy, kicking off with “The Strangers: Chapter 1.
To promote the film’s release, Lionsgate has unleashed a unique viral campaign. Images and videos of the infamous Strangers – Man in the Mask, Pinup Girl, and Dollface – have been popping up in unsettling locations across the country. From random houses to gas stations, and even the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse, these sightings have been captured on home security cameras and shared widely on social media.
Acclaimed director Renny Harlin is at the helm of all three films in the trilogy, with screenwriters Alan R. Cohen and Alan Freedland crafting the chilling narratives. The cast of “The Strangers: Chapter 1” includes Madelaine Petsch, Froy Gutierrez, Rachel Shenton, Gabriel Basso, and Ema Horvath.
The first film was marketed as “based on a true story”, but this was a misdirect as the filmmaker stated that he wrote the concept from a series of break-in burglaries that took place in his neighborhood when he was growing up, as well as borrowing elements from the Manson Family Tate killings. The first film was initially met with mixed critical reception upon its release, though it made a large profit at the box office. Despite this, contemporary film critics have since praised it as a cult classic in the horror genre.
“The Strangers: Chapter 1” is set to terrify audiences on May 17, 2024.
