In the making of a sequel, one expects returning stars to take a higher degree of ownership. Afterall, they’ve had the experience of living in the skin of their character, and that’s experience that can be valuable as their story continues. What is a bit less common, however, is when stars new to a franchise make their voice heard when it comes to bringing back special elements from previous movies, but that’s exactly what Kathryn Newton did in the making of the upcoming horror comedy Ready Or Not 2: Here I Come.
In the sequel, Newton is introduced as Faith MacCaullay, the estranged sister to Samara Weaving’s Grace, but just because the actress is new to the canon didn’t mean that she was shy about sharing her opinions. She previously had the chance to work with directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett on the 2024 movie Abigail, and when they were having discussions about whether or not the protagonist’s iconic wedding dress would be back in play, she made her thoughts on the subject known. In an interview with SFX Magazine on CinemaBlend (the new issue of the magazine available today!), the duo had this exchange about the special costume being resurrected:
- Samara Weaving: I don’t know if I can say how without spoiling it, but it definitely does – and it was fun. Putting the dress back on was surprisingly emotional. It was the same costume designer, Avery [Plewes].
- Kathryn Newton: Hey, I fought for the dress, too.
- Samara Weaving: You did?
- Kathryn Newton: Yeah, I did. I remember when they were like, ‘We don’t know [if it would be featured again],’ and I was like, ‘It’s gotta be in the movie!’
It can’t be said if Newton was the deciding factor in the sartorial debate, but she did end up being on the winning side.
As for how the dress remains in play, the setting of the movie helps: Ready Or Not 2 is set in the immediate aftermath of the first film, with Grace getting no reprieve after watching her new husband and his entire family burst like balloons at the end of Ready Or Not. She has a brief stay in a hospital as a result of the injuries she suffered during her wedding night (including being shot through the hand and stabbed in the shoulder), but her battle-ready bridal attire – skirt torn to enhance mobility – proves much more wearable than the hospital gown she is briefly changed into.
It’s advantage that she definitely needs in the new sequel, which finds Grace further ensconced in the sinister dealings that plagued her ex-inlaws. After the elimination of the Le Domas family, the most powerful lineages on the planet are forced to play a game of their own to see which of them will take control of world affairs, and that means Grace needing to survive yet another terrifying game of hide-and-seek – albeit this time with Faith by her side.
Also starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, Shawn Hatosy, Elijah Wood, Néstor Carbonell, Kevin Durand, Olivia Cheng and David Cronenberg, Ready Or Not 2: Here I Come arrives in theaters everywhere on March 20.
