Australia’s most prolific horror movie returns, as a new Wolf Creek sequel is in development. Inspired by real-life cases of backpackers losing their lives at the hands of sadistic killers, the 2005 feature saw three backpackers become the prey of Taylor and being subject to grisly torture. While its excessive, unrelenting violence left critics divided on whether it was exploitative or provocative, the Australian horror movie did earn back its budget and spark a wider franchise with a sequel and a TV series.
Nineteen years after audiences were first introduced to Mick Taylor, Deadline reports that a new Wolf Creek sequel is in development, with filming set to begin in 2025. Original star John Jarratt is set to return as the outback-based serial killer Mick Taylor. Creator Greg Mclean will act as producer and Wolf Creek 2 director Sean Lahiff will direct, while fellow horror alumni Jeremy Bolt and Kristian Moliere of Resident Evil and The Babadook respectively will also produce. Titled Wolf Creek: Legacy, an American family falls into the sights of Taylor, leading to the children having to fend off the killer.
Why Wolf Creek Stands Out Among Other Horror Movies.
Wolf Creek Is Unrelenting, Brutal, & Bleak.
Releasing amid a boom of shocking, violent, and provocative horror features, Wolf Creek stands apart for how truly bleak it can be. In the first movie, Mick is initially presented as a much-appreciated ally in the unforgiving outback landscapes, offering repairs and aid for lost travelers, only to turn on them and place them through a twisted, sadistic gauntlet of torture before ending their lives. This is a routine that the first movie establishes he is all too familiar with, thanks to a collection of traveler’s possessions.
While Mick is very much implied to be human, unlike other horror killers, such as Jason or Freddy Krueger, there are no happy endings in Wolf Creek, not even for the survivors.
While Mick is very much implied to be human, unlike other horror killers, such as Jason or Freddy Krueger, there are no happy endings in Wolf Creek, not even for the survivors. They are left maimed, psychologically broken, and sometimes suspected of committing Mick’s acts themselves. Instead, most installments in the franchise end with Mick walking off into the sunset, either metaphorically or literally. As such, the Australian horror movie is a truly bleak series of horrific events that offers little hope, making its horrors all the more impactful.
The Wolf Creek series is not for the faint of heart and was part of a wider movement of brutal horror movies that swept the industry. As such, even with the ongoing trend of revival horrors bringing back familiar franchises, it remains to be seen whether its style of horror still has a foothold on audiences. With Jarratt’s involvement confirmed, however, it is undoubtedly that Mick Taylor’s return will be just as unflinching and unrelenting.
Source: Deadline
