Well, this came out of nowhere. THR reports that Nicolas Cage is set to star in another “Longlegs” movie to be directed, yet again, by Osgood Perkins.
Notably, Neon—the original distributor of “Longlegs”—is out, and Paramount Pictures has become the project’s new home, which Perkins has already written and will direct. Sources say that Neon stepped aside when they found out about the “scope and budget,” which was outside the company’s normal range.
What’s more, sources are saying that this new ‘Longlegs’ is “not a sequel” but something “set in the Longlegs universe.” Okay, so is it a prequel? Is Cage playing the same villainous role he had in the original?
“Longlegs” was a well-reviewed surprise hit in summer 2024, bolstered by an immensely successful marketing campaign that released new clues online each week. The result was a $127M global haul against a $10M budget.
The film tackled FBI Agent Lee Harker (Maika Monroe) who investigates a string of brutal family murders in which fathers inexplicably kill their loved ones before dying by suicide, leaving behind cryptic messages. As she and her partner uncover links between the cases, the investigation eventually leads Harker toward Longlegs (Cage).
Following the success of “Longlegs,” Perkins went on to direct “The Monkey” and “Keeper,” and has recently wrapped production on “The Young People,” set for release later this year—four films in three years. That said, the next ‘Longlegs’ instalment is reportedly expected to carry a significantly larger budget than these cheapies.
Now, why on earth would Perkins want to return to the Longlegs universe? That’s the question everyone’s asking—no one really knows. He’s spent his entire career making originals, and turning his biggest success into IP was not something I ever had on my bingo card. He has no other projects announced after ‘Young People,’ so this might actually be his next film.