Overview

• The film debuted July 18 with a 39% Rotten Tomatoes critic rating and is tracking toward a $17 million opening weekend on an $18 million budget.
• A mid-credits cameo by Brandy Norwood as Karla Wilson hints at a potential team-up sequel featuring original and new characters.
• Sarah Michelle Gellar returns in a digitally de-aged cameo as Helen Shivers during a nightmare sequence that drew fan praise.
• Critics have lauded its campy Gen Z sensibilities and production design but criticize its reliance on callbacks over original storytelling.
• Its twist ending that repositions a familiar character as the new Fisherman antagonist has divided audiences and fueled sequel speculation.