Exclusive interview: ‘Ready or Not 2: Here I Come’ with Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett

Interview
Sam Casserly
March 21, 2026
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217
5 minutes read

As Ready or Not 2: Here I Come arrives in cinemas this weekend, anticipation among fans is reaching a fever pitch. The 2019 original carved out a reputation as one of the sharpest, most entertaining genre films of the past decade, blending vicious satire with crowd-pleasing thrills. Now, directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett are back to raise the stakes, and if our recent interview with the pair is anything to go by, the sequel is set to be bigger, bloodier and far more ambitious in scope.

Speaking to Love Horror, the filmmaking duo were candid about the challenge of following up a film that thrived on its tight, contained setting. This time around, the world has expanded, but the intention remains the same. They explained how they deliberately structured the sequel to begin on a broader canvas before gradually tightening the screws, allowing that familiar sense of dread and claustrophobia to creep back in. It is a careful balancing act, but one that reflects their growing confidence as storytellers.

That evolution extends to their collaboration with returning star Samara Weaving. Having built a strong creative relationship on the first film, Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett described a dynamic now rooted in trust and a shared desire to push each other further. The result, they suggest, is a performance that once again anchors the film, while allowing for new shades and unexpected turns.

Fans can also expect a noticeable escalation in both scale and spectacle. The directors revealed that the sequel leans into its horror elements with renewed intensity, while still maintaining the offbeat humour that defined the original. Striking that balance remains key, with moments of levity emerging naturally from the chaos rather than undercutting it. It is a tonal tightrope they clearly relish walking.

And then there is the gore. Without giving too much away, Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett confirmed that Ready or Not 2: Here I Come doesn’t hold back, pushing its practical effects work to new extremes. It is all in service of a film designed to provoke a strong, communal response. Early screenings, they told us, have already seen audiences shouting, cheering and fully embracing the experience.

That sense of shared enjoyment is something the directors are particularly keen to preserve. In an era increasingly dominated by at-home viewing, Ready or Not 2: Here I Come has been crafted with the cinema audience in mind, inviting viewers to react, laugh and recoil together.

You can watch our full interview with Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett below, where they go into far greater detail about the film’s development, its expanding cast and what fans can expect when they step back into this twisted world.