The Strangersare back and audiences are more than ready to see the horrific home invaders terrorize another couple on the big screen. The first trailer for theRenny Harlin-helmed reboot film,The Strangers: Chapter 1, earned a big reaction onlineafter leaking earlier today, showingMadelaine Petschinher first role post-Riverdalecombatting the masked creeps alongsideFroy Gutierrez. For eager fans who can’t wait until May 17 to see more of the slasher, Collider has you covered with an exclusive sneak peek that goes beyond what was shown in the teaser.
Petsch plays Maya inwhat will be a series of threeStrangersfilms releasing throughout this year. Preparing to start a new chapter of her life in the Pacific Northwest, Maya takes a cross-country trip with her long-time boyfriend Ryan (Gutierrez) only to get stuck in the small town of Venus, Oregon when their car breaks down. The pair have no choice but to spend the night at an idyllic Airbnb home, butthings turn ominousas they meet some peculiar townsfolk who don’t seem to take kindly to their presence. That night, their little emergency home becomes a death trapas the masked Strangers begin hunting them. Maya’s journey will evolve from one of terror into one of courage against horrific odds as the trilogy inevitably comes full circle.
Our exclusive sneak peek shines more light on Petsch, whois enjoying quite the risesince appearing as Cheryl Blossom in The CW’s flagship series. Her most recent venture was a much lighter affair with the 2022 Freevee holiday rom-comHotel for the HolidaysfeaturingMena Massoudopposite her. InChapter 1, she and Gutierrez are also joined byRachel Shenton, Gabriel Basso, Ema Horvath, Richard Brake, andElla Bruccoleriwho will bring to life a story conceived by originalThe Strangerswriter/directorBrian Bertinowith a screenplay penned byAlan R. CohenandAlan Freedland.
‘The Strangers’ Reboot Trilogy Will Pack in More Backstory
In addition to being a fan-favorite onRiverdale, Petsch is a huge fan ofThe Strangersand jumped at the opportunityto join the reboot. Moreover, she has faith that the trilogy will have plenty of substance for longtime fans of the iconic horror series to sink their teeth into. Duringa conversation with Collider’sPerri Nemirofflast year, Petsch explained that her initial reservations about remaking the brutally effective home invasion films melted away upon reading the script. Her biggest point of praise was for the portrayal of her and Gutierrez’s central couple, whom she says was fleshed out far more to make audiences care for them as they go through hell. On top of that, she sees them as a strong homage to the original victims played byLiv TylerandScott Speedman:
“I think my biggest pet peeve with the old one now is that you’re not really emotionally invested in those characters. So, yes, it’s terrifying, but you don’t know why they’re fighting originally. You don’t know what their relationship is. They’re kind of already at odds with each other, and so there’s not a lot of investment into Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman. You’re just terrified for them and with them, and so I think we built a world that delves into it more. It’s not exactly a remake because it’s different characters, but it’s the same concept and idea, and I think people will feel like it’s an homage. They’re gonna feel like we handled the material with care and I think [they’re gonna feel] like we’ve dove deeper into it. So if anything, it should make Strangers OG fans really excited because you get more answers, you get more mystery and you get more scares, which is why we watch them.”
As for why it needs to be a trilogy, producerCourtney SolomonurgedThe Strangersfans to not think of it that way. Recent misfires, likeBlumhouse’sThe Exorcistreboot trilogy, have understandably made horror lovers and filmgoers, in general, skeptical about series that greenlight multiple films before the first even reveals its first image. These films, however, were conceived from the get-go as one big overarching story that simply couldn’t be told in a single feature. Ina separate interview with Nemiroff, Solomon said it just made sense once the narrative was constructed to break it down into more digestible pieces and that audiences will, hopefully, understand once they see the trilogy to its end:
“I thought to myself, ‘It’s one big movie, right? But it’s too big to actually release it as one movie, so then we need to make it into three chapters.’ So it’s because of the story we wanted to tell. So in this particular instance of this, it’s not for, like, mercantile or financial reasons or whatever that we did that. There were some benefits budget-wise, but it wasn’t that, it was the story we wanted to tell in the first place would just make too long a movie all as one.”
The Strangers: Chapter 1bows in theaters on May 17. The following chapters in the trilogy are expected to release soon after. Check outour guide herefor everything to know about the reboot and see our exclusive sneak peek below:
