Renowned director Renny Harlin likens his forthcoming project, an ambitious expansion of the 2008 horror flick "The Strangers," to the "Titanic of horror movies." Set to debut in 2024, "The Strangers Trilogy" has caught significant attention from horror movie fans. The hype kicked off during New York Comic Con when Harlin and producer Courtney Solomon dropped the first footage of the project's opening film, "The Strangers: Chapter 1."

Starring in the lead roles are Madelaine Petsch, best known for her work in the TV show "Riverdale," and Froy Gutierrez from "Cruel Summer." The duo plays Maya and Ryan, a couple relocating across the country when they encounter a frightening scenario. Harlin explained that the entire adventure was filmed simultaneously in Slovakia due to practicality and budget considerations.

The unique production schedule let the team maximize their budget by shooting the three films at the same time, explained Harlin. The challenge for casting was in creating credible on-screen chemistry between Petsch and Gutierrez, representing an everyday couple that audiences can relate to.

The trilogy's horror element stands out in its rootedness in reality, rather than dipping into the supernatural. Harlin stated this was part of the appeal for him to be involved. He acknowledged that his prior experience in creating big-budget films like "Die Hard 2" and "Cliffhanger" was beneficial for this project. The Strangers trilogy required intricate planning on both a technical and artistic level, considering the compounds of simultaneous filming for three movies.

While multi-film shooting led to some challenges—for example, the continuity expert ended up quitting—the team remained confident. They were prepared to make some narrative decisions in the editing room, according to Harlin. The recurring joke on set was, "We'll fix it in post," shared Solomon, indicating that despite the challenges, the team maintained a light-hearted, can-do spirit.