‘Insidious 6’ Stalls but May Snag ‘Swallow’ Star Haley Bennett

Haley Bennett is reportedly in talks to lead Insidious 6, the next chapter in the enduring supernatural horror franchise. The update arrives as Sony confirms the film has been pushed back by a full year, shifting from its original 29 August 2025 slot to 21 August 2026. The delay comes amid continued uncertainty around Thread: An Insidious Tale, a long-teased spin-off which has yet to materialise despite early buzz and high-profile casting.

Bennett, whose genre credentials include The Haunting of Molly Hartley and Swallow, is said to have received an official offer for the lead role in Insidious 6, according to insider Jeff Sneider. Should she accept, Bennett would join a franchise known for its psychological tension, demonic visitations and its signature concept of ‘The Further’ – a purgatorial realm that has served as the mythological heart of the series since its debut in 2010.

Though plot details for the sixth film are being kept under wraps, Come Play director Jacob Chase is currently attached to helm the project. No filming dates have been announced, and Sony’s decision to move the release by a year suggests development remains at an early stage.

In contrast to the main series, which has followed the Lambert family and their entanglements with the spectral world, Thread: An Insidious Tale was conceived as a standalone feature that would explore an entirely different story within the same universe. Written and directed by Jeremy Slater, the film was announced as a genre mash-up pitched as Back to the Future meets Aliens. Mandy Moore and Kumail Nanjiani were cast as grieving parents who turn to time travel to save their daughter, only to trigger disastrous consequences.

James Wan, who co-created the Insidious universe with Leigh Whannell, previously compared Thread to The Conjuring’s expanding world, suggesting it was intended to open the door to a broader slate of spin-off stories exploring The Further. Speaking to Screen Rant, Wan noted, “We just felt like there were many stories within that that we can tell, and this is one of the potential stories that we’re hoping to kind of get out there.”

However, no production start or updates on Thread have surfaced since Sony opted to prioritise Insidious 6. The shift in focus may be a strategic attempt to stabilise the franchise after a mixed critical reception to Insidious: The Red Door, the fifth entry released in 2023.

Whether Bennett’s potential casting signals a change in tone or a return to the stripped-back supernatural horror that first made the series a hit remains to be seen. For now, fans of the franchise will have to wait until 2026 for their next glimpse into The Further.

Insidious: The Red Door trailer