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WhatToWatch
WhatToWatch
Entertainment
Sarabeth Pollock

The Strangers ― Chapter 1: release date, trailer, cast, plot and everything we know about the horror prequel

Promo image of the Dollface mask in The Strangers ― Chapter 1.

If you're looking for something scary on the list of 2024 new movies, then you're in for a treat in May when The Strangers ― Chapter 1 hits the big screen. 

The new prequel is based on 2008's genre-bending thriller The Strangers starring Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman. In the movie, a couple plans a relaxing getaway at a remote vacation home only to be terrorized by three people wearing masks. The reason for the attack? They were home when the masked figures visited the house. The horrifying randomness and sheer brutality of the attack made The Strangers an instant classic among horror fans. Now we'll get a chance to see the masked figures in their early days.

The Strangers ― Chapter 1 is the first of three movies that will explore the early history of the masked figures in a new horror franchise that's sure to pique the interest of fans of the original film that earned over $82 million at the box office

Here's everything we know about The Strangers ― Chapter 1.

The Strangers ― Chapter 1 release date

The Strangers ― Chapter 1 releases exclusively in theaters on May 17 in the US and UK.

The Strangers ― Chapter 1 premise

Here's the premise of The Strangers ― Chapter 1 from Lionsgate: 

"After their car breaks down in an eerie small town, a young couple (Madelaine Petsch and Froy Gutierrez) are forced to spend the night in a remote cabin. Panic ensues as they are terrorized by three masked strangers who strike with no mercy and seemingly no motive in The Strangers ― Chapter 1, the chilling first entry of this upcoming horror feature film series."

The Strangers ― Chapter 1 cast 

Madelaine Petsch (Riverdale, Sightless) and Froy Gutierrez (Teen Wolf and Hocus Pocus 2) star in The Strangers ― Chapter 1 as Maya and Ryan, a young couple stranded in a very peculiar town. Both Petsch and Gutierrez show up as being attached to the other two movies in the planned trilogy, which makes us wonder what happens in Chapter 1

The Strangers ― Chapter 1 trailer

Lionsgate has revealed the official trailer for The Strangers ― Chapter 1, along with a few chilling clips. Take a look below:

The Strangers ― Chapter 1 director

The Strangers ― Chapter 1 director Renny Harlin is hailed as the most successful Finnish directors ever. Harlin's body of work includes Driven, Devil's Pass, The Bricklayer, Graceland, The Misfits, Legend of the Ancient Sword and The Legend of Hercules. Harlin is also directing the other two other Strangers prequel movies currently in production. 

Here is Harlin's full list of feature film directing credits:

  • Born American (1986)
  • Prison (1987)
  • A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988)
  • Die Hard 2 (1990)
  • The Adventures of Ford Fairlane (1990)
  • Cliffhanger (1993)
  • Cutthroat Island (1995)
  • The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996)
  • Deep Blue Sea (1999)
  • Driven (2001)
  • Mindhunters (2004)
  • Exorcist: The Beginning (2004)
  • The Covenant (2006)
  • Cleaner (2007)
  • 12 Rounds (2009)
  • 5 Days of War (2011)
  • Devil's Pass (2013)
  • The Legend of Hercules (2014)
  • Skiptrace (2016)
  • Legend of the Ancient Sword (2018)
  • Bodies at Rest (2019)
  • The Misfits (2021)
  • Class Reunion 3 (2021)
  • Refuge (2023)
  • The Bricklayer (2023)
(Image credit: Lionsgate)
(Image credit: Lionsgate)
(Image credit: Lionsgate)
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