The campy slasher film, Happy Death Day, was an instant hit upon release in 2017. However, despite the horror film getting a sequel titled Happy Death Day 2U just two years after the release of the first, director Christopher Landon previously said that the chances for the third film are "dimming" due to its underwhelming performance at the box office. But although there are no developments at all regarding the third installment, Landon still isn't giving up on the idea and reveals that he knows exactly what he wants to do with the third one, saying that it would be a "fun conclusion" to the franchise.

After working on Happy Death Day and Freaky, Landon has delved into the family adventure genre with the upcoming film We Have a Ghost, starring David Harbour, Anthony Mackie and Jennifer Coolidge. But despite his most recent endeavor, the director expressed his desire to return to the worlds of Tree Gelbman (Jessica Rothe, Happy Death Day) and Millie Kessler (Kathryn Newton, Freaky) once again. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the director stated that he is ready to begin work on the third installment as soon as Universal gives him the go-ahead. And while there are rumors about him making a Happy Death Day and Freaky crossover, he is still eager for a conclusion to Tree's time-loop dilemma. So when asked about what project he's willing to work on "tomorrow," Landon said:

"It would definitely be Happy Death Day 3. I have that movie in my head, and I know exactly what I want. It’s actually a bigger movie than the previous two films, and that’s part of the issue, ultimately. This third movie needs a bigger budget, but since the second movie didn’t perform as well as the first, it’s a tall order. But I’m still holding out hope that Universal will give me a chance because it would be a really fun conclusion."

A masked murderer creeping up Jessica Rothe in Happy Death Day
Image via Universal Pictures

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Why Hasn't 'Happy Death Day 3' Been Made?

Even though Happy Death Day 2U performed poorly at the box office, Landon pointed out that the horror franchise has gained massive followers over the years. He added: "I understand the economics of it, but I also think they’re missing the fact that we’ve gained an audience over the years. People finally found their way to the second movie and realized that it was really fun. So, if we did make a third one, I think we’d have a bigger audience than they expect. Or we could do it for Peacock. I don’t know. (Laughs.) It doesn’t have to be theatrical. I’d prefer it, but it doesn’t have to be."

Happy Death Day established itself as one of the horror movies that can take viewers in different directions, all while maintaining its fun and thrilling nature. The story centers on Tree, a college student who has been murdered on her birthday by a masked killer. As if the "murder" part is not terrifying enough for Tree—as well as hearing the "ayy, it's my birthday, and I ain't gonna pick up the phone" ringtone every single day in the same room—she is also trapped in an endless cycle where she wakes up on her birthday only to end up getting murdered time and time again. Tree was able to solve her trouble in the first installment, but was unfortunately sent back into the time loop in 2019's Happy Death Day 2U, where it was revealed why she was stuck in it in the first place.

Along with Rothe, Israel Broussard, Phi Vu, and Ruby Modine also appear in Happy Death Day and its sequel. One can only hope that Universal will eventually approve Happy Death Day 3. In the meantime, check out Collider's interview with Landon and Jason Blum for Happy Death Day 2U below: