The horror-comedy sequel Ready or Not 2: Here I Come made its bloody world premiere at the SXSW festival in Austin, Texas. While Samara Weaving's performance was hailed as sensational, critical reception remains divided over the film's gore-heavy execution.
World Premiere at SXSW
The film debuted on March 14, 2026, in Austin, Texas, featuring a rowdy screening with intense horror elements.
Star-Studded Horror Cast
Samara Weaving reprises her role as Grace, joined by genre veteran Sarah Michelle Gellar.
Polarized Critical Response
Reviews range from praising it as a 'bloody good time' to dismissing it as 'luridly preposterous' and 'ho-hum'.
Future Projects for Radio Silence
Directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett are set to helm a new installment of The Mummy starring Brendan Fraser.
"Ready or Not 2: Here I Come" had its world premiere at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas, on March 14, 2026, drawing screams, cheers, and gasps from the audience, according to Deadline. The horror-comedy sequel was directed by the Radio Silence collective, consisting of Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett. Australian actress Samara Weaving reprises her lead role as Grace from the 2019 original, joined in the sequel by Sarah Michelle Gellar. Variety described the premiere as rowdy, featuring blood, devil worship, and exploding bodies on screen.
Critical reception following the premiere is divided. Deadline praised Weaving's performance, calling the film a "bloody good time," while IndieWire described it as a "ho-hum horror sequel" that a sensational Weaving alone cannot save. The Hollywood Reporter concluded the sequel cannot quite conjure the original's dark magic, and Variety characterized it as "luridly preposterous." Vulture noted the film's strong anti-ultra-rich thematic thrust. Variety also observed the film is more gruesomely over-the-top than the original, as well as more operatic, more debased, and more macabre.
The original "Ready or Not" was released in 2019, also directed by Radio Silence. The collective has since directed the Scream franchise entries and the horror film Abigail. Sarah Michelle Gellar is widely regarded as a scream queen for her extensive work in the horror genre. SXSW has served as a launch platform for numerous genre films since its founding in 1987.
Radio Silence described the shoot for the sequel as grueling and bloody, according to Variety. The directors confirmed their next project is a Mummy sequel starring Brendan Fraser, which they called "thrilling." Fraser, an American and Canadian actor, rose to prominence in the 1990s with films including "Encino Man" and "George of the Jungle" before starring in the original Mummy series. No confirmed release date for the Mummy sequel was available from the source articles.