Will There be a ‘The Turning’ 2?

For a genre that’s over a century old, horror never grows out of fashion. It always finds its way back to haunt us in darker, more twisted ways. No wonder then that the genre is majorly driven by franchises who capitalize on the idea of the horror never dying. But as we all know, this is not always the best decision.

Sequels and remakes in horror are often a hit and miss. They either elevate the storyline, or  simply feel unnecessary. We also have those rare gems that are so incredibly original that a sequel would only spoil its shine. But then, there is also another kind – films that don’t have or need sequels simply because of how underwhelming they are.

Unfortunately for us, ‘The Turning‘ fits in the latter category. It is not entirely surprising considering that the film premiered during the dump month. But keeping in mind that ‘The Turning’ is supposed to mark Steven Spielberg’s return to horror, it does feel disappointing. Aesthetically, the film does have a few marvels up its sleeves. But when it comes down to the story, it falls short, which is unfortunate considering its source material.

The Turning‘ is a modern adaptation of Henry James’ 1898 horror novela, The Turn of the Screw, one of the darkest, most complex horror stories ever written.  But with ‘The Turning’, the story feels too rushed and disjointed, leaving the audience perplexed and dissatisfied. In fact, with the bizarre abrupt “twist” ending, it honestly feels incomplete. The film largely received negative reviews so far, so it does seem unlikely that that we will ever get to see a sequel.

The Turning 2 Release Date: When Can It Premiere?

Well, it is too soon to say. But with the way ‘The Turning’ performed at the box office, it is safe to assume that we might not get a sequel to the film. This also makes sense considering that the film is an adaptation, and that the original source material has no sequel. But what we can certainly expect is many more adaptations of The Turn of The Screw in the future. The Henry James classic has haunted us for over a 100 years. So, there’s no doubt that it will continue do so, in all its different forms.

In fact, for all James fans, this year itself brings another adaptation to this classic. The second season of ‘The Haunting of Hill House‘ is based on the book, and is titled, ‘The Haunting of Bly Manor‘. Along with this, we have several older adaptations that we can always revisit, with the 1961 ‘Innocents’ being considered the best. But if at all, ‘The Turning’ magically does get a sequel, or for that matter a reboot, the release date will fall sometime in 2024 or later.

The Turning Plot: What Is It About?

‘The Turning’ takes from its source material and centres around Kate, a nanny, who is sent to take care of two peculiar orphans, Flora and Miles, at a mysterious estate in the Maine countryside. But she soon realizes that the kids and the house harbour some dark secrets. She discovers a supernatural presence around them, and decides to save the kids at all cost. In the process, she learns about the deaths of the previous employees, Quint, and Miss Jessel.

James’ The Turn of the Screw leaves room for different interpretations. The story is meant to make you question what true horror is. And in the process, it explores themes like sexual abuse, madness, and innocence. By the time we reach the end, we’re left wondering if its a supernatural horror or a psychological one. But which one is worse? Well, that’s a trick question, because the answer is ‘The Turning’. It is worse than nearly all of the previous adaptations of James’ work. The film ends up delivering to neither of the two endings.

But if we go by how the film actually ends, Kate looks at the paintings made by her mentally-ill mother. We learn that Quint killed Jessel, and Miss Grove killed Quint, and the two haunt the estate. She decides to save the children, and runs away with them. But in another moment, we are taken back to the moment where Kate is looking at the paintings, and later screams when she thinks of her mother, implying that Kate is actually crazy. It’s understable why one would take the approach, but it definitely does not execute it well.  For the plot of the sequel, well, there will probably be none, considering that its an adaptation of The Turn of the Screw, which has no sequel.

The Turning Cast & Crew: Who Is Behind It?

‘The Turning’ boasts of a strong star cast that features Mackenzie Davis as Kate, Finn Wolfhard as Miles, Brooklynn Prince as Flora, and Joely Richardson as Demoness. One of the few good things about the film is definitely its performances as each actor delivers in his and her role, with Prince particularly stealing away several scenes as the young Flora.

The film is directed by Floria Sigismondi, best known for ‘The Runaways’. She has also worked on several music videos for artists like Rihanna, Leonard Cohen, Katy Perry and David Bowie. It is also considered to be Steven Spielberg’s passion project as he served as the executive producer for the film. The story for ‘The Turning’ is written by Chad Hayes and Carey W. Hayes, the duo best known for writing the ‘The Conjuring‘.

Read More: Where is ‘The Turning’ Filmed?

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