Johnny’s coming back. And he’s bringing exponentially more carnage.
Paris-based sales powerhouse Charades has officially boarded the sequel to 2024’s cult arthouse slasher hit and is gearing up to unleash it on international buyers at the European Film Market in Berlin.
Translation: The slow-burn massacre that made Sundance audiences squirm is about to go global in a big way.
Charades Promises “Exponential Ultraviolence”
The sequel reunites producer Peter Kuplowsky with the sales team he’s worked with since the gonzo days of Psycho Goreman. In a statement, Kuplowsky didn’t mince words about his ongoing relationship with Charades, noting his history with the company dates back to that gloriously absurd alien splatterfest.
“We are thrilled that they continue to have a taste for our gory genre delights,” Kuplowsky said, before laying out what fans can expect from round two with the undead killer.
“With this sequel, fans can expect an exponential increase of the ol’ ultraviolence with a distinct hook, but one that still collides with storied slasher traditions.”
Exponential ultraviolence. Let that sink in for a moment, especially if you’ve seen the yoga kill from the first film.
Charades co-founders Carole Baraton, Pierre Mazars, and Yohann Comte were equally enthusiastic, calling the sequel “a first feature, driven by a new vision, with more kills, more blood, hopefully even more iconic.”
What We Know About the Sequel
The original In a Violent Nature shook up the slasher formula by framing the entire blood-soaked rampage from Johnny’s perspective. Following the silent, relentless killer through the Canadian wilderness as he methodically dispatched victims in increasingly brutal ways. It premiered at Sundance 2024, earned a theatrical release through IFC Films and Shudder, and became an instant cult favorite for its atmospheric slow-burn approach to extreme violence.
The sequel went into production back in September in Canada with writer-director Chris Nash returning alongside producer Shannon Hanmer. Development is being overseen by Emily Gotto, Nicholas Lazo, and Samuel Zimmerman for Shudder.
Kuplowsky has previously described the original film as being “conceived as a meta-sequel within a fictional slasher series,” meaning they were always envisioning mayhem beyond the first movie’s scope. Now they’re getting the chance to deploy Johnny “as a conduit to further experiments in the genre.”
The Charades Connection
For those keeping score, this marks another significant genre collaboration between Kuplowsky and Charades. The sales company handled international distribution for Psycho Goreman back in 2019-2020, helping turn that gloriously deranged kids-meet-alien-warlord comedy into a worldwide cult phenomenon.
They also handled the first In a Violent Nature, with the Charades team comparing it to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and calling it the discovery of an incredibly talented director.
Now they’re betting big on the sequel.
What to Expect at EFM
The European Film Market runs concurrently with the Berlin International Film Festival, and it’s where international distributors shop for their next big acquisitions. Charades isn’t just bringing In a Violent Nature 2 to the market. They’re giving it what they’re calling “a big market push,” which in sales-speak means they believe this thing has serious commercial potential beyond the arthouse horror crowd.
They’ll also be shopping Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s first-ever period drama Kokurojo: The Samurai and the Prisoner, Louis Paxton’s Sundance debut The Incomer, and Yoshitoshi Shinomiya’s A New Dawn (competing at Berlinale). But let’s be real, Johnny’s the one we’re watching.
The Bottom Line
If you thought the first film’s infamous yoga kill was brutal, you’re not ready for what “exponential ultraviolence” means. The original film built its reputation on patient, atmospheric dread punctuated by jaw-dropping practical gore effects. The sequel promises to dial that up while maintaining Nash’s experimental approach to slasher conventions.
No release date has been announced yet, but with production wrapped and Charades pushing it hard at Berlin, expect news soon on when Johnny will resume his restless, murderous walk through the woods.
And when he does? Cover your eyes. Or don’t. That’s kind of the whole point.
Stay tuned for more details as they emerge from the EFM.