by Despite not featuring in many of the recent top horror movie lists, Insidious, to its credit, brings a lot to the genre. And in October 2017 we will be exposed to the next chapter in the franchise, Insidious: Chapter 4, which is already being pipped as the most chilling in the series.
So far, it’s been rumored that the fourth film may take place somewhere between Chapter 1 and Chapter 3. Leigh Whannell made his directorial debut and both wrote and directed the third installment of the horror franchise. When asked if a potential fourth film would be a sequel to Chapter 3 or a prequel to the original he answered: “I’ll say that I’d like to explore the time between this film and the first film. That whole area there where Elise has rediscovered her gift, I think you could have a lot of adventures before she arrives. So I think there is a lot of room there. We’ve kind of established Lin [Shaye] in this particular film as kind of this superhero, so that would be kind of interesting to explore in the other films.”
Lin Shaye’s Elsie Rainer returned for Chapter 2 and Chapter 3 despite her fate in Insidious seeming somewhat final. Of course, Chapter 3 ends with Elsie coming out of retirement to work with Specs and Tucker, however, upon her arrival home, she realizes that there is a demonic figure watching her from outside and soon realizes the demon is familiar.
Names of any cast members are currently being kept on the down low but one thing for sure is that Lin Shaye will definitely be returning.
Adam Robitel has been named as the director of Chapter 4 and series co-creator Whannell will pen the script. If Robitel’s previous work is anything to go by then the latest Insidious installment is set to take the franchise by storm. He directed The Taking of Deborah Logan, another horror film, which tells the supernatural story of possession. The 2014 flick received an impressive score of 83% on Rotten Tomatoes which bodes well for Chapter Four.
There may be a complete lack of official details surrounding Chapter 4, such as its storyline and casting, but as Whannel’s comments suggest, the plot may just be another connecting story between Elsie’s emergence from retirement in Chapter 3 and her death in Insidious. This isn’t a certainty, however, and the way Chapter 2 deals with Elsie’s fate, this isn’t the only option.
The second installment of the franchise set Elsie up as a useful spirit that could assist the Specs Tucker duo with their investigations into The Further, and its attacks on our world. Because of this, it’s possible that Chapter 4 may tell a story set in the modern day.
The cliff-hanger of Chapter 3 creates the perfect opening for the next installment as Elsie’s actions cause the running feud between herself and the Lipstick-Face Demon. A decent ending for Elsie’s character could tie up her story with this nemesis and pave the way for a new story with new ghosts and completely new characters.
