Josh Hutcherson Leads A Bachelor Party Nightmare From The First Omen Director

Arkasha Stevenson is sticking with horror, and honestly, that tracks. After The First Omen pulled off the rare trick of being a legacy prequel people actually liked, she is lining up her second feature with A24. Per Deadline, it is untitled for now, the cast is already coming together, and the premise is simple enough to make you suspicious: a bachelor party that goes off the rails and straight into a nightmare.

Quick refresher on how we got here: last year gave us two different stabs at prequels to horror classics. Paramount quietly slipped out the Rosemary's Baby prequel Apartment 7A to not much fanfare, while The First Omen landed far better than anyone expected. It even scored an 8/10 from JoBlo critic Chris Bumbray, and Tyler Nichols chimed in with another positive take. So yes, Stevenson earning a fast follow-up makes sense.

Who is involved

• Director: Arkasha Stevenson, following her feature debut The First Omen
• Writers: Stevenson and Tim Smith (her collaborator on The First Omen)
• Studio: A24
• Producers: Lars Knudsen and Emily Hildner via Square Peg (the banner run by Knudsen and Ari Aster)
• Executive producer: Ari Aster (Hereditary, Midsommar)
• Additional producers: Tim Smith, Harrison Huffman, Christina D'Souza
• Cast in talks: Josh Hutcherson (Five Nights at Freddy's), Frank Dillane (Fear the Walking Dead), Caleb Landry Jones (Get Out), Whitmer Thomas (Weapons)

Plot-wise, everyone is keeping their cards close. All we have is 'bachelor party turns terrifying,' which could mean anything from a possessed best man to a cult in the woods to a hangover you can not pray away. With A24 and Square Peg involved, do not expect a tame version.

If you like to track the behind-the-scenes chessboard: Square Peg is Ari Aster and Lars Knudsen's shop, with Knudsen producing here and Aster sitting in the EP chair. That pairing usually signals stylish dread and a readiness to get weird.

Before her feature debut, Stevenson cut her teeth on shorts and a run of TV episodes across Channel Zero, Legion, Briarpatch, and Brand New Cherry Flavor. She is not new to building slow-burn unease on a TV schedule, which is a great training ground for this kind of pressure-cooker premise.

While we wait to see who survives this party, you will be seeing Hutcherson on screens again soon: Five Nights at Freddy's 2 is set to hit theaters in just a couple of weeks.

I am curious where Stevenson takes this. The setup is clean, the talent is strong, and the team behind it loves to press on nerves. If the invites go out, are you RSVPing?