The other week we had an in depth discussion with Mike Flanagan about his phenomenal slasher Hush, which is now streaming on Netlix Instant.
We got to talking about Oujia 2, which he directed for Blumhouse and Platinum Dunes.
The 2014 Ouija, which was directed by Stiles White, wasn’t well-received by critics or fans, but it did make over $100 million worldwide at the box office.
Flanagan was as skeptical as we were when approached to helm the sequel, but thinks that we’re going to be pleasantly surprised.
“It’s a lot of fun, and it’s not the movie people expect,” he tells Bloody Disgusting. “I know there’s some skepticism about it, and I think that’s appropriate – I was skeptical too. But I got to do something really cool and I think people are going to be pleasantly surprised.
“It’s a whole new thing,” he added when asked about the concept, while joking, “I actually can’t talk about that. But a Ouija board does factor into it.”
The interesting bit came when we wanted to know if he was already either attached to, or developing a third Ouija. While he’s told his story, he does reveal that it could become an anthology of sorts.
“I imagine they might want one if this one goes well, but I feel like I’ve told my ‘Ouija’ story.
“It’d be kind of cool to see how the franchise does with new voices coming in for later installments. There’s just so many places you can go, narratively, with the board itself… it’s been around for 100 years, and the story possibilities are endless. It could be a real anthology franchise, with a different filmmaker helming each new entry. That could be lots of fun.”
In Ouija, adapted from the board “game”, a group of friends must confront their most terrifying fears when they awaken the dark powers of an ancient spirit board. It starred Olivia Cooke, who has been blowing up in the genre world with her work in “Bates Motel,” The Quiet Ones and even The Signal.
