Overview

• The film premiered at Fantastic Fest to largely positive notices, including a 9/10 from /Film and multiple critics calling it an improvement over the 2021 original.
• Director Scott Derrickson and writer C. Robert Cargill return as the narrative shifts focus to Gwen, with Madeleine McGraw earning standout praise.
• Ethan Hawke reprises The Grabber in a more supernatural, dream-invading form, with reviewers noting gnarlier violence and comparisons to Nightmare on Elm Street.
• The official synopsis centers on Gwen’s unsettling visions and calls in her dreams linked to a winter camp called Alpine Lake, drawing her and Finn back into danger.
• Universal and Blumhouse have dated the theatrical rollout for October 17, building on the first film’s breakout box office that set the stage for a sequel.