US distributor A24 has paid attention to the box office success of Danny and Michael Philippou’s debut feature Talk to Me, announcing plans for a sequel to the supernatural thriller.
In a post published on X, formerly Twitter, the independent powerhouse said it would be “summoning a sequel” above a video of the film’s ceramic hand forming the number two.
In Australia, Talk to Me is on the verge of becoming the second highest grossing local film of the year, taking in nearly $2 million since its release via Maslow Entertainment on July 27.
In the US, the film has grossed $US$23.2 million, moving it into the top ten of A24’s best-performing Stateside releases.
Written by Danny Philippou and Bill Hinzman, Talk To Me stars Sophie Wilde as Mia, a lonely teenager who gets hooked on the thrills of conjuring spirits through a ceramic hand. When she is confronted by a soul claiming to be her dead mother, she unleashes a plague of supernatural forces.
The cast also includes Miranda Otto, Alexandra Jensen, Joe Bird, Otis Dhanji, Zoe Terakes and Chris Alosio.
It was produced by Causeway Films’ Kristina Ceyton and Samantha Jennings.
A24 secured international rights in a reported seven-figure deal following the film’s international premiere at Sundance, where the Philippou brothers – also known for their YouTube exploits as RackaRacka – received praise for attempting to apply a fresh flavour to familiar horror tropes.
Just prior to its release, Talk to Me screened at San Diego Comic-Con, with the filmmaking brothers fronting a panel discussion. In quotes published in The Hollywood Reporter, Michael said they “always wanted to be making feature films”.
“We always set challenges for ourselves for the videos we were making,” he said.
“Just so we could see if it was possible to make something and to gain experience.”