Movies
Ari Aster Talks Extended Cut of ‘Midsommar’ and His Forthcoming “Zonky Nightmare Comedy”
Late last week, Midsommar director Ari Aster took to reddit to conduct an AMA where he revealed a lengthy battle with the MPAA and the promise of an extended cut that could top three hours in length.
Movieweb caught up with the filmmaker who clarified what we can expect from the longer edit, which may or may not have its own festival premiere.
“The first cut of the movie was about 3 hours and 40 minutes. I am working on an extended cut that would be about three hours, maybe a little bit less,” said Aster.
When asked to elaborate on what we can expect to see in that larger cut, Aster didn’t go into full details but did promise, “A more nuanced picture of Harga, more rituals and more nuance for the relationship between Dani (Florence Pugh) and Christian (Jack Reynor), and more by way of the thesis competition between Josh (William Jackson Harper) and Christian.”
After a six-week-long battle with the MPAA for an R-rating, I’m wondering what “more rituals” means? We’ll find out as soon as Midsommar is released on home video this fall (date TBD).
Another piece of info that came out of the reddit AMA was news that Aster was planning a “zonky nightmare comedy.” While he wouldn’t go into further detail, he did add that, “It’s an absurdist, evil comedy.
“I’ve also referred to it as my anxiety comedy.”
Aster told reddit that a horror movie would likely not be his next project: “It might take me a few movies before I wind back around to it, but I love horror and I’m sure I’ll be back.”
Watch what you wish for. The highest-grossing horror movie of the year (so far), Curry Barker’s Obsession, is now available to watch at home on Digital!
Obsession also heads to 4K UHD combo pack, Blu-ray™ and DVD on July 14, 2026 via Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.
To celebrate, we’re exclusively unveiling a new clip that spotlights the incredible performances by lead stars Michael Johnston (“Teen Wolf”) and Inde Navarette (“Superman & Lois”).
In Curry Barker’s theatrical debut Obsession, after breaking the mysterious One Wish Willow to win his crush’s heart, a hopeless romantic finds himself getting exactly what he asked for but soon discovers that some desires come at a dark, sinister price.
The cast and crew weigh in on the central performances in the film below, pointing out Bear’s unique journey from protagonist to villain. The breakout portrayal of Freaky Nikki, of course, takes center stage in the discussion.
Cooper Tomlinson (“That’s a Bad Idea,” Milk & Serial), Megan Lawless (The Death That Awaits), and Emmy Award-nominee Andy Richter (“Conan,” Elf) also star.
What else is included with Obsession‘s home release?
EXCLUSIVE BONUS FEATURES WHEN YOU PURCHASE AT PARTICIPATING RETAILERS:
- OBSESSION UNLEASHED – Take the obsession further by going behind the scenes with filmmaker Curry Barker and the cast, Michael Johnston, Inde Navarrette, Cooper Tomlinson and Megan Lawless, to see them create a wild horror story out of intense performances and shocking scares. Hear the cast reflect on their most memorable scenes, get a peek at Michael and Inde’s chemistry test that sparked the film’s emotional core, and see how their collaboration shaped the film’s most unsettling moments.
- FEATURE COMMENTARY WITH DIRECTOR/WRITER/EDITOR CURRY BARKER
You must be logged in to post a comment.