While there is a long list of horror movies that have been released in 2024 so far, fans had high hopes for Abigail, the vampire story from Radio Silence. While the movie wasn't a box office hit, audiences mostly enjoyed it, although critics gave it mixed reviews. No matter how fans of the genre feel about it, Abigail features a compelling performance from young Alisha Weir, and Scream fans were glad to see Melissa Barrera in another scary film.
Since the movie is an update on Dracula's Daughter, the classic Universal Pictures movie from 1936, it seems impossible not to wonder if the studio is going to revisit this creepy world again. After checking out Abigail on streaming, there's just one question: will there be a sequel to Abigail?
Is There Going To Be An Abigail 2?
At the time of this writing, there is no confirmed Abigail sequel. However, Melissa Barrera has addressed the idea in a few interviews. She told Collider in April 2024:
"Honestly, my dream is that Joey gets home and she turns into a vampire. So, she then comes back and is like, 'You lied to me, Abigail! You told me I was going to be fine.' And then they have to fight some other vampire clan together."
Then, in May 2024, Barrera, who is no longer starring in Scream 7, spoke to Screen Rant and said "I'd definitely be open to coming back." She also said she would be happy to keep starring in movies directed by Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin. Barrera said:
"No, the idea of a sequel for me was always exciting, because I want to be a vampire.That's all I want in life, that's all I want. So that was, for me, it was the thing, but I don't know that we need one. And it will be actually really hard to do with Alisha, because technically, she can't get any older, and she's at that age where she is getting older."
What did the filmmakers say? Gillett explained in an interview with Comic Book:
"I think that we would return to anything Abigail-related in a heartbeat. There's no design to do that."
Gillett continued that he likes movies with real endings, which is definitely a fair point. Whether talking about the best endings of A24 horror movies or classic scary films, it's nice when audiences feel that a story is complete and don't have questions about plot holes or character motivation.
What Horror Movies Has Melissa Barrera Starred In?
- Scream (2022)
- Bed Rest (2022)
- Scream 6 (2023)
- Abigail (2024)
- Your Monster (2024)
From the kill scenes in Abigail to the ending that does set up a sequel, it's no wonder horror audiences are curious if they will see this dangerous young ballerina again. It would make sense if Universal resurrected the Dark Universe and made several more Abigail films. Using Barrera's idea and having Joey become a vampire would be possible. This idea would also work with another character from the first movie. Since the overall story is about a seemingly innocent character who is actually dangerous, the sky is the limit here. Of course, fans would like to see Alisha Weir again, so maybe if there was an Abigail 2 in the future, she could come back in a flashback scene.
Why Abigail Is A Memorable Take On Vampires
From a terrible Wes Craven movie to the beloved TV series True Blood, vampires show up in pop culture all the time. But they aren't always compelling or different. Abigail, however, is a more interesting vampire than most since she's a seemingly adorable and innocent young girl who also happens to be a strong, talented, and impressive ballerina.
Abigail's love of ballet makes this movie stand out among many other horror movies with the same trope. In an interview with Deadline, Alisha Weir talked about how dance became a big element of Abigail. She said she had conversations with her choreographer Belinda Murphy and the directors and they decided that this would work well. Weir explained:
“The more me, Belinda, Matt and Tyler talked about it, the more the excitement built, the ideas built, and we all just couldn’t wait to do it. It became a very big part of her character, so no matter what she was doing, she was always doing it in an elegant and graceful way, always leaping and chasing and pirouetting all over the place.”
Weir also did 95% of the Abigail stunts and told Slash Film she was happy performing them. Whether or not there will be an Abigail sequel, Weir's amazing performance deserves applause.