When director Christopher Landon revealed that his newest horror comedy Freaky was set in the same universe as his hit Happy Death Day films, there was instant speculation about a crossover. It's now looking like at least one of his leading ladies, Jessica Rothe, is on board, definitely giving fans something to talk about.
Happy Death Day was released in 2017 and was an instant horror-comedy success, even spawning a 2019 sequel. It's a play on a Groundhog Day story, where main character Tree (Jessica Rothe) is murdered on her birthday and she can't stop reliving it. Landon's latest flick Freaky takes its inspiration from Freaky Friday and is about a teen girl named Millie (Kathryn Newton) who finds herself switching bodies with a serial killer. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Rothe says she would love "a showdown of Tree versus Millie."
"I think that’s totally the way to go because (Millie) embodies so much strength, power and twisted badass-ness in that role. I was so lucky to get to see it on opening weekend, and it has such fun, wild performances from both Kathryn and Vince (Vaughn),” she says. "And maybe Vince can make a cameo as a scream queen because he gave us scream queens a run for our money."
Fans have been eyeing a Happy Death Day and Freaky crossover since before the latter was even released, and before the director had even confirmed they were within the same universe. Both films have been strongly praised for their use of a strong and likable female lead, and their modern take on horror tropes like the Final Girl or the brutish serial killer.
Modernizing classic tropes is one common feature of what the film community call the "woke horror" genre, and many horror experts say this is an era of woke horror right now. Other common features of woke horror include having a strong sociopolitical message, or providing commentary on current culture. Experts say that this is a reflection of the times, where society seems to be getting more and more culturally aware.
While of course nothing is confirmed yet, Rothe being interested in a crossover event will certainly fuel some already large rumors and fans definitely have strong reason to be hopeful. Though it may not quite quench the thirst for a Tree vs Millie showdown, you can currently catch her in the romance drama All My Life.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter