The highly anticipated horror-comedy sequel “Ready or Not 2: Here I Come” is set to make its world premiere today at the SXSW Film Festival in Austin, Texas. The screening is scheduled for 3:30 PM local time at the Paramount Theatre. Following the financial success of the 2019 original, which grossed $57.6 million globally against a $6 million budget, the sequel’s wide theatrical release date was moved up to March 20, 2026. The film enters the festival carrying significant momentum, currently holding the record for Searchlight Pictures’ biggest trailer launch with 68 million views in its first 24 hours.
A special preview of the sequel is actively charting on streaming platforms ahead of the theatrical debut. As of the week of release, the preview is the second most-watched release on Disney+ in the United States and ranks sixth in Canada. Directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett return to helm the project, utilizing a more comedic tone and staging a majority of the action and assassinations in broad daylight.
The Daily Northwestern published a review of the film detailing a deliberate thematic shift from the first installment. The narrative abandons the original marital dynamic to focus entirely on sibling rivalry. The plot resumes moments after the conclusion of the 2019 film. Grace, portrayed by Samara Weaving, survives her in-laws and reunites with her estranged sister, Faith, played by Kathryn Newton.
The two sisters are immediately targeted by four other powerful families bound by demonic pacts. The developing relationship between Grace and Faith stands in direct contrast to the film’s antagonists, Ursula and Titus. Portrayed by Sarah Michelle Gellar and Shawn Hatosy, the antagonistic sibling duo leads the rival Danforth family. The sequel actively expands the franchise mythology and features an enlarged ensemble cast, adding David Cronenberg, Elijah Wood, Kevin Durand, and Néstor Carbonell.