Ari Aster Says He Wrote a HEREDITARY Prequel, But Don’t Expect It Anytime Soon
One of the most talked-about horror films of the last decade could have expanded its story in a major way, but it sounds like fans shouldn’t hold their breath waiting for it.
During a recent Q&A held as part of the American Cinematheque’s annual Bleak Week event, Ari Aster revealed that he actually wrote a prequel to his dark and disturbing horror film Hereditary.
The filmmaker shared the update while discussing his body of work, which was featured throughout the event with screenings that included Midsommar: Director’s Cut, Beau Is Afraid, and Eddington.
While many filmmakers would be eager to revisit the movie that launched their career, Aster explained that returning to the world of Hereditary hasn’t felt right for him so far.
“I wrote a prequel to this,” Aster said. “It never feels like the right time. It’s a prequel, not a sequel, so I don’t know where this goes.”
A prequel set before the events of Hereditary could dive deeper into the disturbing history of the Graham family, the sinister cult operating in the shadows, or the origins of the dark forces that ultimately consume the story. Unfortunately, Aster doesn’t sound particularly eager to move the project forward at the moment.
Released in 2018, Hereditary quickly established Aster as one of the most exciting voices working in horror. The supernatural psychological thriller follows a grieving family whose lives spiral into a nightmare as a series of increasingly terrifying and unexplained events begin to unfold around them. It was a seriously jacked up movie.
The film starred Toni Collette, Alex Wolff, Milly Shapiro, Ann Dowd, and Gabriel Byrne, and became both a critical and commercial success. It earned more than $90 million worldwide and, at the time, set box office records for A24.
Even though a return to Hereditary doesn’t appear to be on Aster’s immediate schedule, he certainly isn’t slowing down. The filmmaker is already developing his next project following 2025’s Eddington.
Aster is set to direct Scapegoat, a new film that he also wrote. The project will star Scarlett Johansson and reunite Aster with A24, the studio behind all four of his previous features. As expected, plot details remain tightly under wraps.
For now, the mysterious Hereditary prequel remains tucked away in a script drawer somewhere. Whether it ever makes the jump to the screen is anyone’s guess, but knowing that Aster has already explored more of that unsettling universe is enough to spark plenty of curiosity among horror fans.