‘The Substance’ Director Coralie Fargeat Says No to a Sequel or Prequel, Wants to Do Something New
If you’ve watched The Substance, you know it’s not the kind of film that screams for a sequel. However, in today’s world, where studios often try to squeeze every last penny out of successful movies, it’s natural to wonder if a follow-up might be in the works.
Thankfully, director Coralie Fargeat has put those thoughts to rest. In a recent chat with Variety, she confirmed there are no plans for a sequel. ‘The point of this movie is to bring fresh things to the world. No sequels, no prequels… I’m going to be happy to bring something fresh to the world in a bit,’ Fargeat explained.
Even if Mubi or Working Title decided to push ahead with a sequel and brought in a different director, it’s unlikely stars Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley would return.
Their characters meet pretty definitive ends in the film. After Sue (played by Qualley) takes out Elizabeth (Moore), she realizes she can’t get more serum from her older self. Desperate, Sue uses a one-time activator serum, transforming into the monstrous “Monstro Elisasue,” who faces a grisly end. And this is what probably contributed to Fargeat’s definitive ‘no’:
#TheSubstance director Coralie Fargeat says there will not be a sequel to the film. #PSIFF https://t.co/Zb60FtL8TQ pic.twitter.com/JSD6AZ6Pnu
— Variety (@Variety) January 4, 2025
Margaret Qualley recently spoke about the intense process of filming these scenes:
So at that point, I am in layers and layers and layers of prosthetics. I’ve had it glued to my face. I can’t see out of one eye, I can only see out of this eye. I can’t hear. My head is [tilted to the side]. My arms are glued to my body.
The only thing I can move is my right hand, and I’ve just also burnt my hair. All of this stuff is practical. All of this stuff is real. We’re doing it in real time. I’m really frying the hair. I’m really popping the earring in. And it’s kind of a race because it takes so long to organize those moments because of how elaborate the prosthetics are that it’s a quite simple shot, but I think by that time I’d really understood the…
It was at the very end of the shoot, the musicality of the film. And there is such a kind of beat to it. The volume of the performance is so high. You’re really accelerating. And so you know that by that moment that it’s almost like being a human within a cartoon world.
(Source)
Demi Moore’s performance in The Substance earned her a Golden Globe, and her acceptance speech was nothing short of inspiring. If you missed it, it’s definitely worth checking out. With no sequel in sight, it looks like The Substance will remain a standalone, unique body-horror experience, and that seems to be for the best.
Have something to add? Let us know in the comments below!
