- Primary Subject: Ari Aster's written Hereditary prequel script
- Key Update: Director Ari Aster revealed he has already written a prequel to Hereditary.
- Status: Confirmed
- Last Verified: June 9, 2026
- Quick Answer: Ari Aster has written a Hereditary prequel script, but fans shouldn't expect it soon; the director states it is currently not the "right time" to produce it.
Ari Aster recently revealed that he has already written the prequel to his horror masterpiece Hereditary, but when can fans expect its release?
Hereditary has been hailed as one of the best horror films of the 21st century and launched Ari Aster as one of the filmmakers in the genre who have been respected by critics and horror fans. While the ending of the film doesn't suggest a franchise expansion, some fans are still wondering whether a sequel or prequel would be in the works.
Is the Hereditary Prequel in the Works?
According to GoldDerby, during a recent Q&A at American Cinematheque’s annual Bleak Week, Aster opened up about the making of Hereditary and the success of its release.
He revealed that he has already written the script for the prequel. However, fans should not expect it anytime soon since he noted that it is not the "right time" yet to produce the project.
"I wrote a prequel to this. It never feels like the right time. It’s a prequel, not a sequel, so I don’t know where this goes," the filmmaker said.
Aster also reflected on the massive success of the new low-budget horror movies Obsession and Backrooms.
"This is a really interesting month with Curry [Baker] and Kane [Parsons]. I hadn’t seen Kane’s shorts until Backrooms came out. He’s really interesting. He’s 20 years old, and what he’s been doing on Blender, I think, he’s clearly following a vision. I’m thrilled to see that. That’s so exciting," he said.
When the discussion of whether Hereditary is an "elevated horror" came about, Aster refused to use the label, as he believes that he was just following tradition.
"I hate the term elevated horror, especially because it’s sort of a box that I was put in, and horror fans took umbrage. ‘Who do you think you are?’ I didn’t say it, I didn’t say it," he said.
"I felt like I was working in a tradition. I wasn’t trying to change anything. The film is very, almost self-consciously nodding to Rosemary’s Baby at the end of the film. I wanted to be explicit about it because I felt indebted. I was just trying to make a really good horror movie."
What is Hereditary About?
In Hereditary, when the matriarch of the Graham family passes away, her daughter and grandchildren begin to unravel cryptic and increasingly terrifying secrets about their ancestry, trying to outrun the sinister fate they have inherited.
The cast includes Toni Collette, Alex Wolff, Milly Shapiro, Ann Dowd, Gabriel Byrne, and Mallory Bechtel.
Following its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 21, 2018, the film was released theatrically in the United States on June 8. It earned widespread critical acclaim and proved to be a major box office success, turning a $10 million production budget into a $90 million global gross.
Since its release, it has been included in lists such as Rolling Stone's "The 100 Best Movies of the 21st Century" and The Hollywood Reporter's "25 Best Horror Movies of the 21st Century."
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