Octavia Spencer is returning for Ma 2
'Ma 2' is in development with Octavia Spencer returning to the title role.
The 55-year-old actress has been announced for the upcoming sequel, which will see her reprise her role as the eponymous killer from the original 2019 thriller.
Blumhouse Productions founder and CEO Jason Blum has confirmed plans for the follow-up, and heaped praise on her "iconic performance" in the first film.
He said in a statement: "'Ma' has proven to be a social phenomenon since its release in 2019, with fans eagerly embracing the film and Octavia's iconic performance as Ma.
"Ma likes to say 'don't make me drink alone,' so we're thrilled Octavia will join us again for a second round.'
As of yet, development on the project is in its early stages, with no release date set or director attached.
In the 2019 movie - which was helmed by 'The Help' director Tate Taylor - a group of high school students struck up an unlikely friend with Octavia's Sue Ann Ellington.
The lonely veterinarian - with a wild party animal streak - let the teens party in her basement, but their intergenerational friendship soon took a sinister and violent twist when their bond started to cool off.
Taylor previously revealed he was keen to continue his longstanding film partnership with his friend Spencer, and back in 2021 there were already talks for a sequel.
He told Entertainment Weekly: "Can you believe how much 'Ma' lives on? Isn't that just crazy?
"I don't think we thought 'Ma' was going to have this afterlife as this cult thing, and I think it's worth discussing [a sequel].
"I know Octavia would do it, that's why I purposely left her death ambiguous!"
Although Ma's death is implied, it's never shown on screen, and Taylor had already given plenty of thought to how she could return.
He said: "My idea is that she's moved to another town, and she has open houses in another city and kills people in the open house.
"I think she'd be a real estate agent in the Pacific Northwest, and just murder white people looking at McMansions. That's as far as I've gotten!"
Meanwhile, Spencer - who has been friends with the filmmaker for around 30 years - previously opened up about the "mutual trust" they share.
She told website 'Hey U Guys': "Tate and I met as PAs in Mississippi on 'A Time To Kill'. When we moved out here we became roommates but I worked on everything, all of his short films.
"The only film I didn't work on with him was 'A Girl On The Train'. So we've worked together a lot more than people know.
"When you have someone who has your best interest at heart and its mutual we trust each other, he trusts me as an actor, I trust him as a director and writer. I feel fortunate that I get to have that type of work collaboration."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Perth Now
2 days ago
- Perth Now
‘We feel really good about it': The Batman: Part II gets positive update from James Gunn
DC boss James Gunn has revealed he is expecting to receive a script for The Batman: Part II this month. The upcoming sequel had been delayed and rumours about the film's development troubles began to circulate online, though Gunn, 58, has now stressed The Batman: Part II is still in the works and he is expecting director Matt Reeves, 59, to hand in a screenplay later in June. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, he said: 'Listen, we're supposed to get a script in June. I hope that happens. 'We feel really good about it. Matt's excited. I talk to Matt all the time. I'm totally excited about it. So we can't wait to read the scripts, but we haven't read it yet, if that's your question.' The DC head added 'people should get off Matt's nut' and stop hassling him for updates about The Batman: Part II. Gunn said: 'People should get off Matt's nuts because it's like, let the guy write the screenplay in the amount of time he needs to write it. That's just the way it is. 'He doesn't owe you something because you like his movie. I mean, you like his movie because of Matt. So let Matt do things the way he does.' The Guardians of the Galaxy filmmaker added he was 'irritated' by the constant bombardment of questions about the movie online. He said: 'I am irritated by people. I mean, it's just that thing people don't need to be entitled about. It's going to come out when he feels good about the screenplay. 'And Matt's not going to give me the screenplay until he feels good about the screenplay.' The Batman: Part II was initially due to hit cinemas in 2026, though was pushed back a year to October 2027 to give Reeves more time to finish the story. Although no plot details about the film are known, it has been confirmed Robert Pattinson's Dark Knight, Zoe Kravitz's Catwoman, Colin Farrell's The Penguin, Andy Serkis's Alfred Pennyworth and Jeffrey Wright's Gotham police officer James 'Jim' Gordon would all be returning for the sequel. While work on The Batman: Part II continues, it was recently announced the Caped Crusader would be getting his own villain spin-off movie through Clayface. The picture will star White Lines actor Tom Rhys Harries in the titular role, while Speak No Evil filmmaker James Watkins directs from a script written by Doctor Sleep's Mike Flanagan. Gunn explained Clayface - which will hit screens in September 2026 - would be set in the mainline DC Universe (DCU) opposed to the Elseworlds universe, like The Batman, which is separate to the DCU. Gunn said of bringing Clayface into the DCU: 'Well, I think it was just we needed DCU content. Mike Flanagan is somebody who I've been friendly with for a long time, and he wrote me about Clayface. 'He texted me about it really early on in my DC journey. Just being honest, I did not think that was something that was going to happen, but he came in and he pitched the idea and I was like, 'Oh s***! That's cool.' 'It's a body horror movie. It's a horror movie that, like any cool body horror movie, just happens to be in the DCU. 'And then he wrote the script, and the script was fantastic. We did not plan to do Clayface. That was really something he brought to us.'
Perth Now
2 days ago
- Perth Now
My role at DC Studios is all creative, says James Gunn
James Gunn's job at DC Studios is "all creative". The 58-year-old filmmaker and his long-time producer Peter Safran became co-chairmen and co-CEOs of DC Studios in 2022, and James has now explained how he's balanced his role at DC with the demands of writing and directing the new Superman movie. He told Entertainment Weekly: "The balance isn't between creative and business. The balance is between specific creative and macro creative. "Peter Safran, he does all our meetings, he does all the business stuff. "For me, it's about writing and directing, but it's also about shepherding other writers and directors. It's about trying to come up with other ideas for other shows, other movies that I give to other writers to take care of. So my job is all creative. "Occasionally, there are other things that you need to do, of course, as any writer/director does, but mostly it's taking care of the creative storytelling across all platforms." James acknowledges that he "can't do everything" at DC Studios. The filmmaker - whose previous directing credits include Guardians of the Galaxy and The Suicide Squad - said: "It's a little bit too much at times. I can't do everything. "I've had to try to focus on what I can focus on, which has been part of my learning process over the past couple years of having this job. If I try to do everything, it's too little of any one thing, so I need to really focus on certain pieces of what's happening." Superman is the first movie that James has written and directed in DC's new era. And the director admits that Superman is crucial to the success or failure of the DC brand. He explained: "He's one of the three biggest characters at DC, one of the most important characters in all of Warner Bros.' catalogue, but was also really the figurehead of DC in a lot of ways because he's the first ever superhero. So it seemed like the right movie to do first." James previously claimed that "people are looking for heroes right now". The director also revealed that he was feeling optimistic about the David Corenswet-led Superman film. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter at a DC press event, he explained: "I think he's the right Superman because he is a character that stands for something that is solid, stands for basic human morals, basic human integrity, basic belief in protecting others and protecting the weak being good to people and being honest. "People are looking for heroes right now. They are looking for values of goodness, looking for people who are good and decent human beings. And Superman is that."
Perth Now
3 days ago
- Perth Now
Aaron Taylor-Johnson teases mysterious next project amid James Bond rumours
Aaron Taylor-Johnson has insisted he "can't talk about" his next film project. The 35-year-old actor has been heavily rumoured to be the next James Bond as Amazon MGM look for Daniel Craig's 007 successor, and he gave a very coy response when asked about what he'll be doing after working on 28 Years Later. Quizzed by Deadline at the horror movie's premiere on Wednesday (18.06.25), he said: "I can't talk about it." Taylor-Johnson was already being led away before the question was asked, and flashed a smile after his cryptic answer. A few weeks ago, the Hollywood star was announced as a global ambassador for Swiss brand Omega, which has been the Bond franchise's go-to watch brand since 1995's GoldenEye, with every 007 since Pierce Brosnan wearing their timepieces on screen. Taylor-Johnson said at the time: "I have always had an appreciation for timepieces, but especially for Omega. 'Now, after visiting the factory, I am in awe of the skill required to manufacture such a luxurious product.' Meanwhile, Omega's CEO Raynald Aeschlimann praised him as a "versatile actor with a range that covers action, thriller, romance, and much more". The Bullet Train star has remained tight-lipped about the chance of him playing Bond. In March 2024, he told Rolling Stone UK: "'I can only really talk about the things I'm going to show and tell. So, The Fall Guy, Nosferatu, Kraven the Hunter… I'm here to promote those." He added: "I don't feel like I need to have a future drawn out for me. I feel like whatever's drawn out for me, I can f*****' do better." Earlier this year, Amazon Studios took control of the franchise from Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, while Amy Pascal and David Heyman are attached to produce the next film in the super spy series. Speaking at CinemaCon in April, Amazon MGM executives Courtenay Valenti and Sue Kroll told the convention: "We are committed to honouring the legacy of this iconic character while bringing a fresh, exotic new chapter to audiences around the world alongside Amy and David. "They're both in London getting started and couldn't be here tonight, but we wanted to thank them for what we know to make an incredible partnership.' Meanwhile, Bond legend Brosnan recently insisted Craig's successor must have "a sense of humour". Asked about the requirements an actor needs to take on the part, he told MovieWeb: "Good voice, good body, courage. Great courage. "And a sense of humour, a passion for hard work and danger. And being bold. Gotta be bold, gotta be dangerous. And you have gotta know yourself."
