When Ari Aster revealed at a recent American Cinematheque Q&A that he wrote a Hereditary prequel script, the admission came with a telling caveat.
I wrote a prequel to this. It never feels like the right time. It’s a prequel, not a sequel so I don’t know where this goes.
Aster told the audience, expressing the kind of uncertainty that is becoming a hallmark of successful horror directors facing sequel pressure.
His hesitation fits an emerging pattern: breakthrough horror auteurs consistently struggle with franchise expansion, even when commercial success practically guarantees studio and audience demand.
The Auteur Sequel Dilemma in Modern Horror
Jordan Peele has maintained similar caution about Get Out sequels despite massive success and producer pressure. When asked about expanding the universe, Peele’s response mirrors Aster’s uncertainty:
Never say never. There’s certainly a lot to talk about left. We’ll see.
The measured tone reveals the creative tension these directors face, caught between artistic integrity and the commercial opportunities their success creates.
Robert Eggers took an even firmer stance after The Witch’s breakout success. When pressed about sequel possibilities, Eggers was definitive:
If I wanted to know what happens after the last shot of the film, I would have made a longer movie.
His rejection of franchise opportunities despite The Witch’s cultural impact demonstrates how horror auteurs prioritize artistic vision over commercial expansion.
What makes this pattern particularly striking is the genre’s commercial potential. Hereditary earned ten times its budget; Get Out became a cultural phenomenon; The Witch launched A24’s horror credibility. These are massive wins that would typically trigger immediate sequel development in any other genre. Instead, horror auteurs consistently face pressure to expand properties they consider complete artistic statements.
Aster himself acknowledged this frustration:
In some ways, it’s really irritating. I’m trying to get better. Every film I make I actually feel kind of prouder of than the last.
He said, capturing the creative ambition that drives these directors away from revisiting past successes.
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A24’s Franchise Evolution Problem
The situation becomes more complex when viewed through A24’s business model. The studio has historically avoided franchise filmmaking in favor of original content, building its reputation on supporting filmmakers’ vision over commercial formula. This approach created A24’s brand identity but also limited its franchise portfolio.
That strategy is shifting. The X trilogy represents A24’s first major horror franchise, with X, Pearl, and MaXXXine proving that the studio can successfully expand properties when directors are willing partners. Ti West’s enthusiasm for the X universe demonstrates what happens when auteur vision aligns with franchise potential.
A Talk to Me sequel is also in development, marking another franchise experiment. These projects show A24 testing franchise waters while maintaining their filmmaker-first approach.
But Hereditary represents A24’s one of the biggest commercial successes, making Aster’s reluctance particularly significant for the studio’s evolving strategy. A24’s filmmaker-first approach may create bottlenecks when directors resist sequel opportunities, especially with properties that have massive franchise potential.
The studio can’t force sequels without violating the creative autonomy that attracts top talent, but they also can’t ignore the commercial reality of leaving their biggest hit unexpanded.
This creates a unique paradox: A24’s most successful filmmaker has written a prequel to one of their most successful film, but artistic uncertainty keeps both parties from moving forward. It’s exactly the kind of creative standoff that defines modern horror auteurship, where success creates pressure that conflicts with the artistic instincts that generated the success in the first place.
Whether Aster’s Hereditary prequel ever emerges may depend less on commercial logic and more on whether he can reconcile franchise expansion with his evolving artistic vision.