Sequel to Highly Polarizing 2019 Supernatural Horror Gets Greenlight After Years of Delays; Filming Begins

New Line’s horror sequel, The Revenge of La Llorona, has officially started production. The movie continues the story from the 2019 supernatural hit, The Curse of La Llorona. Jay Hernandez, known for his role in Magnum P.I., and Monica Raymund, star of TV’s Chicago Fire, are leading the cast.

They are joined by Raymond Cruz, who returns as the curandero from the first film. Rising talents Edy Ganem, Martín Fajardo, Acston Luca Porto, and Avie Porto also appear in the project, which is filming in Buffalo. Jeff Pierre rounds out the cast.

The producing team of Emile Gladstone, Gary Dauberman, and James Wan is returning. However, the film has a new director and writer. Santiago Menghini, a Canadian filmmaker known for his award-winning short Milk and 2021 horror debut No One Gets Out Alive, is directing.

Sean Tretta, who previously worked with Wan on Creature from the Black Lagoon, wrote the script. The sequel had been delayed multiple times, including a shelving in early 2024, likely due to budget issues. Its current production marks a significant revival for the project.

The original film, The Curse of La Llorona, was a box office success, grossing $123.1 million worldwide on a $9 million budget.

It opened to $26.5 million in its first weekend in the U.S. and Canada, topping the box office, with nearly half of its audience identifying as Hispanic. Despite this, critical response was mixed. Rotten Tomatoes gave it 26% positive reviews, while Metacritic scored it 41 out of 100. Audiences were slightly more favorable, with a CinemaScore of B− and PostTrak reporting 48% “definite recommend.”

Fans of the franchise can expect The Revenge of La Llorona to continue the eerie, supernatural story while introducing new faces and fresh creative talent. It will be interesting to see how the new director and writer approach the material, given the original film’s mixed reviews but strong audience appeal.

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