Get ready for another blood-soaked rampage: In a Violent Nature: Part 2 has officially locked in a theatrical release date of February 12, 2027. The surprise announcement came during Shudder's New York Comic Con panel on Saturday evening, courtesy of star Ry Barrett, who revealed that the undead killer Johnny will be back on the big screen in just four months.
The original In a Violent Nature, released in 2024, flipped the slasher genre on its head by following the killer's perspective instead of the victims'. It introduced audiences to Johnny, a hulking, undead figure in an antique firefighter's mask, who brutally dispatches a group of friends in the woods after they steal a locket from the firetower where his body rested. The film became a critical darling and a cult favorite, thanks in part to its inventive kills—including the now-infamous yoga scene that used Johnny's signature hooks and chain.
For the sequel, original writer-director Chris Nash returns alongside co-director and co-writer Nate Wilson. The story shifts to a summer camp, where a young outcast finds himself stuck spending the night with his camp counselor sister and her friends during their annual end-of-season party. Naturally, Johnny shows up to crash the festivities with his trademark brutality. The film had an early work-in-progress screening at Fantastic Fest, where critics praised the amped-up gore and special effects, though some felt it didn't quite reach the heights of its predecessor. It currently holds a 60% score on Rotten Tomatoes from ten reviews.
Barrett leads the cast, joined by newcomers Lucas Nguyen, Olivia Scriven, Laurie Babin, Fionn Laird, Donald MacLean Jr., and Evan Mars. Nash also produces alongside Peter Kuplowsky and Shannon Hanmer. The sequel will once again be distributed by Shudder and the Independent Film Company, the team behind horror hits like The Babadook and Late Night with the Devil.
2026 has been a strong year for horror overall, with breakout hits like Curry Barker's Obsession and Kane Parsons' Backrooms. The slasher subgenre, however, has seen mixed results—while Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma and Ready or Not 2 delivered bloody fun, Scream 7 became the franchise's lowest-rated entry, and the long-gestating Psycho Killer was widely panned. In a Violent Nature: Part 2 hopes to buck that trend when it hits theaters on February 12, 2027.
For more horror news, check out HBO Max's early spooky season and Camp Crystal Lake's NYCC appearance.
