Everyone’s Returning For INSIDIOUS 2

Insidious is a great little horror flick, offering solid scares and an original approach that totally works. The first film was made for very little money and resulted in a bundle of cash for the studio, so a sequel was always inevitable. Not long after the film was released, director James Wan and writer/co-star Leigh Whannell announced they were returning for the sequel, and we all figured they'd write a film where a new family is haunted by the demons of The Further.

But no, yesterday Film Distrct sent out a press release announcing that Insidious stars Rose Byrne, Patrick Wilson, Ty Simpkins (the Dalton family) and Lin Shaye (their paranormal investigator) will all return for the sequel, with a planned release date of August 30, 2013.

This is interesting! And potentially problematic. Insidious ends in a very decisive manner for the Dalton family and for Shaye's character, Elise Rainier. No spoilers here for anyone who hasn't seen it (it's free streaming on Netflix - check it out), but I'm having some trouble conceiving of a sequel with these characters that won't feel like a total cop-out. Sure, it's possible Whannell has planned some brilliant justification for everyone's return, but this feels more like a studio mandate. 

By the by, Wan has another haunted house movie starring Patrick Wilson coming out, the Ed and Lorraine Warren film The Conjuring.

What do you guys think about the cast announcement?