Jessica Rothe and Christopher Landon Confirm ‘Happy Death Day3’ Is in the Works!

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At long last, there’s some good news for fans of the Happy Death Day series! Six years after the release of Happy Death Day 2U in 2019, we finally have an update on the third film. Originally debuting in 2017, Happy Death Day was a unique blend of horror and comedy, drawing inspiration from the time loop concept in Groundhog Day. The story followed Tree Gelbman (played by Jessica Rothe), who found herself reliving her birthday repeatedly due to a mysterious attacker wearing a mask. With each new film, fans have been eagerly anticipating a third installment, and after a six-year wait, it looks like we might finally get one!

At a unique double screening of both Happy Death Day and its sequel Happy Death Day 2U, stars Jessica Rothe and director Chris Landon were present remotely through Bloody Disgusting. During the event at the American Cinematheque in Los Angeles on April 5, 2025, Rothe shared with the audience, “We’re making the third film!” Landon subsequently agreed by saying, “Yes, we are moving forward.” The pair did not disclose any details about the storyline or when the movie would hit theaters.

As a die-hard fan of the “Happy Death Day” series, I was taken aback when I heard that “Happy Death Day 3” is happening, given that Landon himself stated earlier that there had been no contact from Blumhouse or Universal regarding this third installment, which was announced in 2020. At one time, Landon hinted at transforming “Happy Death Day 3” into a limited streaming series on Peacock, airing night after night, but it appears those plans have been shelved. Interestingly, while Landon stated he never penned “Happy Death Day 3,” in 2022, he had previously shared that he had proposed a concept to Universal Pictures.

The Long Road To Get to ‘Happy Death Day 3’

It seems that several aspects have contributed to the delay of Happy Death Day 3. The primary reason being the underperformance at the box office of Happy Death Day 2U, which earned only half as much as the original film did two years earlier. Perhaps, Happy Death Day 2U was slightly ahead of its time, as it explored the multiverse just a month after the release of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and two months before the widespread popularity of the idea in Avengers: Endgame. The concept was then extensively used in blockbuster movies like Deadpool & Wolverine and the critically acclaimed film Everything Everywhere All At Once.

After the COVID-19 pandemic broke out a year following the release of “Happy Death Day 2U”, there was some doubt about making a third film. However, director Christopher Landon briefly contemplated merging the series with his 2020 slasher comedy “Freaky”. Subsequently, Landon focused on “We Have a Ghost” and started working on “Scream VII”, but left due to conflicts arising from Melissa Berrera’s dismissal by Spyglass Entertainment and Jenna Ortega’s decision to withdraw. His next project is “Drop”, scheduled for release by Universal Pictures and Blumhouse on April 11, 2025.

In both cases, the movies “Happy Death Day” and its sequel “Happy Death Day 2U” were premiered on Friday the 13th of their respective years. The original film debuted in October 2017, while the sequel was shown in February 2019. There’s a possibility that Universal Pictures might continue this release pattern, as there is a Friday the 13th in February 2026, which marks the seven-year anniversary of “Happy Death Day 2U.” However, that would be an unusually quick turnaround for a film that only recently started development. When “Happy Death Day 3” finally arrives, it will have been quite some time since its predecessor, but fans have been excitedly waiting for it.

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2025-04-07 17:05