Terrifying Twist! Mind-Blowing Connection Revealed: 2022 Horror Movie Shocks Fans as a Surprise Sequel to a 2016 Horror Hit

Summary

The Russian release of the horror movie Old Man was marketed as a prequel to Don't Breathe, even though the only connection is Stephen Lang's presence.

Lucky McKee, the director of Old Man, likened this misrepresentation to the past trend of producing fake franchise films, like Zombi 2, which was prevalent in international markets, especially in Italy.

The 2022 horror film Old Man was mistakenly promoted as a prequel to Don't Breathe in Russia. Starring Stephen Lang as a reclusive hermit who takes in a stranded hiker, the movie delves into a diabolical game of pursuit. The only connection between Old Man and the Don't Breathe series is the presence of Lang, who previously portrayed a blind man fiercely defending his home in the successful 2016 horror flick. Lang reprised this role in the 2021 sequel, Don't Breathe 2, assuming a more complex antihero persona.

JB Hi-Fi recently conducted an interview with Lucky McKee, the director of Old Man and renowned for his works including May (2002), The Woman, and All Cheerleaders Die. In the interview, McKee disclosed that the Russian release of Old Man was erroneously marketed as Don't Breathe: The Beginning due to Lang's involvement. He drew a comparison to past instances of faux franchise films like Zombi 2, which were common in Italian cinema. McKee's complete statement can be found below.

In Russia, they released it as Don’t Breathe: The Beginning. Kind of like the Italians used to do back in the day, with movies like Zombi 2.

Horror History is Full of Fakeout Sequels

Although it may appear surprising that Old Man was renamed as Don't Breathe: The Beginning, McKee's comparison to the Italian horror movies of the 1970s and 1980s is fitting. In that particular region, local releases were occasionally given titles that linked them to unrelated franchises in order to enhance their potential profits. For instance, Lucio Fulci's Zombi 2 was advertised as a sequel to George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead (which was released in Italy as Zombi in an alternate version), even though Romero would eventually produce a genuine sequel to the film in 1985's Day of the Dead.

During that time period, it was common practice to rename both Italian and Hollywood films based on the region where they were released. Surprisingly, Mario Bava's Bay of Blood was even rebranded as a sequel to Wes Craven's The Last House on the Left, despite the fact that it had been originally released nearly a year before Last House made its debut. Italy even has a series of seven movies called La Casa, which includes unrelated films like The Evil Dead II, Ghosthouse, Beyond Darkness, and House II: The Second Story.

Now, this fabricated prequel to Don't Breathe brings this tradition into the modern era. While the use of this type of marketing may be debatable, it could still contribute to the ongoing support for the actual franchise. Reports suggest that Don't Breathe 3 is currently in the early stages of development, and international backing could aid in its successful completion, even if it is based on false premises.

Source: JB Hi-Fi