Ari Aster Says He’s Written a ‘Hereditary’ Prequel

Ari Aster has “Scapegoat,” starring Scarlett Johansson, set to begin shooting in November. There’s still a great deal of mystery surrounding the project, particularly regarding what genre Aster will tackle next.

A few months before “Scapegoat” was announced, Aster mentioned that he had three potential projects in development: a sci-fi film, an “Eddington” spiritual sequel, and a horror movie. We may now have a better idea of what that horror project is.

During a Bleak Week screening of “Hereditary” at the Cinemateque, via Gold Derby, Aster revealed that he has already written a “Hereditary” prequel set in the film’s world, though it won’t be his next movie.

“I wrote a prequel to this,” Aster said. “It never feels like the right time. It’s a prequel, not a sequel, so I don’t know where this goes.”

That would seem to suggest that “Scapegoat” is either the sci-fi script or the “Eddington” spiritual sequel, or maybe it’s something Aster wrote on the fly, in just a few months, late last year.

During the same conversation, Aster also reflected on the current wave of successful independent horror films, praising Kane Parsons and Curry Barker. Speaking about Parsons, he said, “He’s 20 years old and what he’s been doing on Blender, I think he’s clearly following a vision. I’m thrilled to see that. That’s so exciting.”

Looking back on “Hereditary,” Aster acknowledged both its lasting popularity and the difficulties he faced getting it made. He described finishing the film under a troublesome financier as “one of the darkest times of my life,” though its eventual success launched his career. Even so, he joked that its enduring reputation can sometimes be frustrating: “Every film I make I actually feel kind of prouder of than the last, and yet it’s like diminishing returns as far as their reception is concerned.”

Aster has directed four features so far: “Hereditary,” “Midsommar,” “Beau Is Afraid,” and “Eddington.” All of them, flaws and all, have been fascinating watches. However, in my view, he has yet to make a film as complete and accomplished as “Hereditary,” which remains the gold standard of his career.