Between Ready or Not and Abigail, it’s safe to say that filmmakers Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett have a way with bursting bodies for maximum splatter via practical effects.

The directors, also known as Radio Silence, up the ante in the sequel Ready or Not 2: Here I Come.

It’s not just double the protagonists and double the satanists out to murder them; Ready or Not 2 doubles down on the gore, too.

Considering the amount of Satanists in this sequel, and their penchant for exploding into a massive amount of blood and viscera, could this be Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett’s bloodiest film yet? “We’ve been going back and forth on that,” Bettinelli-Olpin tells Bloody Disgusting. “We don’t know.

“We do know we used 325 gallons in this one, which is a lot.“

Gillett recalls, “I feel like we did more testing on Abigail, which is one of the reasons why the blood amount was so high. I mean, the body, the pool of bodies on Abigail was a lot, and maybe a little bit of a cheat. We shot the blood cannons in Abigail practically as well, but I feel like there was a little, slightly more digital enhancement in Abigail. I don’t know where the ceiling is for us on this.”

Kathryn Newton in READY OR NOT 2: HERE I COME. Photo by Searchlight Pictures/Pief Weyman, Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2026 Searchlight Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

The filmmakers don’t necessarily set out to top themselves in the gore department, though. Bettinelli-Olpin explains, “I think this is what suits this particular story, but that said, I think, because we do work with the same group on a lot of these movies or all of these movies, there is a desire amongst all of us to continue to push ourselves and challenge ourselves. Why it is largely centered around exploding bodies, I do not know. I mean, it’s really fun.

“We are figuring something out,” Bettinelli-Olpin deadpans.

Gillett adds, “Triple down on it.”

Adding to the sequel’s maximalist quality is an even bigger cast, with horror master David Cronenberg appearing early in a pivotal role. It turns out that his casting was even a surprise to Ready or Not 2‘s directors.

“No, because I don’t think we ever in a million years thought we would get David Cronenberg to be in a movie,” Bettinelli-Olpin answers when asked whether Cronenberg was the first choice to play the father of Sarah Michelle Gellar and Shawn Hatosy‘s characters in the film. “Our casting director was like, ‘Hey, we could take a swing at David Cronenberg.’ Of course, within seconds, we were like, ‘Oh my God, yes, please, that’d be incredible.’ I mean, we’re still pinching ourselves that he said yes, it’s fucking crazy.'”

“I think the idea, too, is that he is playing a character that the world has so much reverence for in the story. Then he shows up on set, and he’s a man who you just, there’s so much reverence for him. I mean, he’s in so many ways, and obviously a gentleman, and lovely, and kind, and not a Satan worshiper, but it was just like, it felt like he had that level of power in the making of it because we were just so starstruck,” Gillett says.

“He brings a level of gravitas to that role that is pretty incredible.”

Ready or Not 2: Here I Come is now showing in theaters.

Directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett on the set of READY OR NOT 2: HERE I COME. Photo by Searchlight Pictures/Pief Weyman, Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2026 Searchlight Pictures. All Rights Reserved.